Tommy’s Car Wash Express shines with Ontario debut
Driver passing through Brampton, Ont., along 6 Maritime Ontario Blvd., near Airport Road and Queen Street East, will notice a new addition to what was once an empty lot beside the large Honda dealership operated by OpenRoad.
That empty space is now home to the first of six Tommy’s Express Car Wash locations planned for Ontario. The new site is operated by OpenShine, a division of OpenRoad Auto Group, the British Columbia–based automotive retailer representing more than 20 brands through its dealerships and collision centres.
OpenShine was created to serve as a Canadian franchisee for the Tommy’s Express Car Wash brand and to elevate the car wash experience, says Christian Tjia, operations manager at OpenShine.
“We’re definitely more on the premium end of the car wash,” he adds. “Our focus is on providing not just a high-quality wash, but an exceptional guest experience.”
Partnering with Tommy’s Car Wash Systems allows OpenShine to deliver that experience through an automated wash tunnel designed to clean a vehicle in under three minutes. The tunnel can accommodate vehicles up to 84 inches high and 96 inches wide. The site also features 16 complimentary vacuums, moulded mat washers for both fabric and plastic mats—a first in the market— and an automatic entry system that uses licence-plate scanning linked to the Tommy’s Express app.
The app supports unlimited wash memberships.
“We have four wash packages ranging from $35 to $58 a month,” Tjia says.
The top package—The Works—includes body wax, paint conditioning, underbody cleaning and Tommy Guard, which protects the paint.
Unlimited washing is an easy sell.
“During inclement weather in the winter, you’ve got your salt; in the spring, you’ve got the pollen, and, in the summer, you’ve got all your dust and dirt,” he says. “Then in the fall with all the leaves and the rain and mud. It’s beneficial to our customers to have unlimited car washing to protect their vehicles.”
While the technology ensures consistency and wash quality, Tjia emphasized that exceptional service ultimately depends on staff. All employees undergo extensive training with Tommy’s Car Wash Systems.
Not only did staff travel down to the United States to train with the Tommy’s team, but the company also sent trainers to the Canadian operation to shadow team members, ensuring that they understood their roles, answering questions and providing hands-on support.
During the soft opening in mid-October, customers received complimentary washes, while staff promoted the unlimited subscription program and tested operations. In addition, a Tommy’s trainer was on hand to oversee the launch.
A core part of operations, Tjia notes, is the focus on inspections. Staff conduct hourly checks of all systems—including spray nozzles, brushes, conveyors and back-end equipment—as well as begin[1]ning- and end-of-day inspections.
“We do this to ensure every piece of equipment is working as intended,” he says. “We also have someone stationed at the tunnel exit watching every vehicle come out to make sure it’s clean and drying correctly.”
Staff training isn’t just one and done. Ongoing support remains a priority.
“We want to ensure that if a customer has an issue, we can resolve it quickly and improve the experience next time.”
Tjia emphasizes that the guest experience is tied directly to employee satisfaction. That is why he and the team at OpenShine strive to make the operation a safe and enjoyable place for people to work and advance their careers.
“If our team is happy and enjoys working here, then our guests will also enjoy coming here,” he explains. “We are very focused on building a company culture that is supportive so everyone is happy to be here, which then translates to a better workplace and into a better customer experience with a car wash.”
Photo Credit: Vito Amati
