El Car Wash took a mundane errand, wrapped it in Miami color and sold it like a streaming plan. Now the Warburg Pincus-backed chain has more than 100 locations - and half a million members paying to keep the shine on.
Whistle Express turned 16 regional car-wash brands into one operating system. Then a $385 million deal more than doubled its footprint - and made the humble wash tunnel a revealing lesson in subscription retail.