How this Miami company created a car wash frenzy— and here’s what’s happening next
Miami gets in line for a few things. Hot chocolate and churros on a cold day. Cinnamon buns from Knaus Berry Farm. And a car wash at El Car Wash.
More than 40 El Car Wash locations sprawl across South Florida, and it’s common to see people lining up at all hours of the day for a vacuum and wash at the Art Deco-inspired buildings.
Sometimes, it looks like a car washing frenzy.
Justin Landau, who serves as the company’s co-CEO and co-founder along with Geoffrey Karas, says its the result of a “magic recipe.”
Location and service for the right price, mixed with a brand that people “feel affinity for.” That has helped create “something special,” he said.
“We’ve been able to kind of bridge the gap of how people used to think about our type of business ... and show the reality of what this kind of service-oriented business can actually be,” Landau said in a phone interview with the Miami Herald.
Philanthropy and El Car Wash
Philanthropy and giving back is also a core part of El Car Wash’s business, according to the two CEOs. The company is an official employer partner of The de Moya Foundation, a nonprofit that specializes in services for children and young adults with disabilities, and supports various other health organizations. The company recently donated a portion of proceeds from washes and memberships, totaling $10,000, to help the American Red Cross respond to the wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles.
El Car Wash is also a frequent donor to Baptist Health South Florida, the region’s largest health organization. On Friday, Jan. 24, the company donated $150,000 for pediatric cancer research to Baptist Health South Florida. The donation comes as the car washing service celebrates a milestone — El Car Wash has more than 50 stores across Florida and Michigan, with more in the pipeline.
“If we can help families in a challenging time in any way, it’s just something that deeply resonates with us, like on a human level,” said Karas, the father of two toddlers.
The origin of El Car Wash
The chief executives recall giving their wives a shock in 2019 when they took over four South Florida car wash locations owned by “El Gordo y la Flaca” co-host Lili Estefan, who is the niece of music producer Emilio Estefan, and her now ex-husband businessman Lorenzo Luaces.
They eventually left New York to settle in Miami, got their own cars, and learned how to run El Car Wash.
Then came the transformation.
Colors of blue and pink pay homage to Miami Beach’s beloved Art Deco scene. Biodegradable products and the recycling of 88% of the water used at its locations. And different monthly membership plans where customers can either pay by the wash or sign up for unlimited monthly washes. Each membership tier offers different services at the car wash, including tire shining, waxing and rain repellent coating.
With financial help from Warburg Pincus, a New York-based private equity firm that acquired the company in 2022, the two CEOs have rapidly expanded the car wash service into one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Their growth strategy includes opening new stores and acquiring existing car washes.
El Car Wash has now become the official car wash of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers and the Detroit Lions. NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, considered to be one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, obtained an ownership stake in the chain last year and is now an official brand ambassador.
The company, which has 59 stores across Florida, most of which are in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, with more than 1,000 employees, is expected to have nearly 100 locations by the end of 2025. So far, the company has already opened three new Florida locations this year — in Homestead, Merritt Island, and near Lake Worth Beach — and has about 35 other stores slated to open this year, including in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
More than 300,000 people have a monthly membership, according to the company. Depending on when the stores open, El Car Wash expects to wash 15 million or more vehicles this year, according to Landau. And success of the business is good news for employees, too.
El Car Wash offers equity ownership across the business so employees can benefit from the company’s profits along with professional development and career training opportunities to retain and promote staff, according to Karas.
“Our business, by its nature, is very local,” said Karas, noting that El Car Wash’s customers and employees all tend to live near stores. The upcoming expansion is projected to balloon the company’s workforce to more than 2,000.
“We’ve been so fortunate with our success and growth and be able to employ so many people and build the business the way we have. We just feel an obligation, to some extent, to give back to everybody that’s enabled our success, and that’s really the people that live in the communities we serve, both our employees and our customers,” he said.
El Car Wash celebrates milestone
To celebrate the expansion, El Car Wash is offering new members who sign up Jan. 23-26 one month of unlimited washes for 50 cents. The company also hosted a celebration Friday at its Westchester store, 6901 Bird Rd., which was the company’s first location.
Friday’s celebration had food, music and free car washes for first responders who live in Miami-Dade along with raffles to win a free membership. This is where Landau and Karas presented Baptist Health with the $150,000 check, the company’s third donation to the hospital system in the past three years. In total, El Car Wash has donated more than $300,000 to Baptist Health.
“El Car Wash’s generosity is directly impacting critical pediatric cancer research led by physicians like Matthew Hall, M.D., lead pediatric radiation oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute,” Baptist Health Foundation said in an emailed statement to the Miami Herald. “Their ongoing support is helping drive breakthroughs to improve treatments and bring hope to children and families battling cancer.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
