Tommy’s Express Car Wash Breaks Ground on Second Alaska Location
The tunnel wash debuted in Alaska at the Tommy’s Express location on Abbott Road.
Photo Credit: Scott Rhode | Alaska Business
A former car wash in East Anchorage is being retooled by a new franchise. Or rather, retunneled: Tommy’s Express Car Wash broke ground on its second Alaska location at 4301 Debarr Road, near the Costco store. The conversion into the national chain’s signature tunnel design is slated to be complete in early 2026.
Second of Eight
Tommy’s Express arrived in Anchorage last fall with the opening of the flagship location at 1850 Abbott Road. The local franchisee Wild Pines Ventures is a family-run operation made up of CFO Tamara Davis along with her sons and their wives. The company also owns car washes in Kansas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, and has added a new location every year, on average, since getting into the business in 2017.
Davis says the company bought the franchise rights to eight locations in Alaska and has committed an $80 million investment over the next five to seven years. Most of the locations have been scouted out, Davis says, but she could not disclose them.
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June 2025
The Debarr location will feature Tommy’s Express’ signature dual-belt conveyor that can accommodate a wider variety of vehicles than traditional car wash conveyors. The total wash time from entrance to exit averaging only 2-3 minutes.
The company uses a subscription model, enabling customers to purchase and manage monthly memberships through a mobile app.
One of the nation’s fastest-growing franchises, Tommy’s Express has more than 200 locations nationwide. Each carwash is built around the Totally Tommy model initially developed by Tommy Car Wash Systems. More than 169 franchise locations across the US are supported with training, marketing, and technical assistance and enjoy access to proprietary, franchise-exclusive developments in wash products and technology.
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