This car wash in Fort Myers, Florida, is one of about 60,000 places to get your vehicle cleaned in the US — and many more options are on their way.
Photographer: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group EditorialWhy Are There Suddenly So Many Car Washes?
Fueled by private equity and a subscription-based business model, the auto wash industry is flooding the US with new outlets. Some towns and cities have had enough.
The town of Streetsboro, Ohio, just off the state’s famous turnpike, owes a not insignificant part of its identity to automobiles and the industries that support them. About 6.5 million cars drive by every year, and the local retail mix is dominated by motels, gas stations and various drive-through businesses.
But in recent years, Mayor Glenn Broska has heard from a lot of constituents angry about one particular element of the autocentric landscape: car washes.