El Car Wash Acquires four Sparkle Express Car Wash sites

• El Car Wash, an express car wash brand based in Miami, bought four Sparkle Express Car Wash locations in Illinois: Chicago (S. Western Ave.), Cicero, Elgin and Matteson. It was announced October 15, 2026, and the terms weren’t disclosed.
• The deal is El’s way into Chicagoland. El will rebrand and invest in the four sites, bringing in its unlimited membership model and free amenities, while trying to keep Sparkle’s existing customers.
• El now has members across the Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. It plans to reach 50 Chicagoland locations through new builds and more acquisitions, and already has entitlements in Lyons, Lake in the Hills and Downers Grove.

* Denotes a partial company acquisition and/or divestiture.

El’s entry adds Chicago to the list of fragmented metros where national express consolidators are buying a regional chain first and then filling in with new builds. Because El has publicly set a 50-site target, independent and multi-site operators across Chicagoland should expect more buyer interest. They’ll also face a new competitor that is locking up development sites. For owners, that combination makes the next 12 to 24 months a good time to understand what their business is worth, since competition among buyers for well-located, membership-heavy sites tends to peak right when a consolidator arrives in a market.

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