Whitney Elkins-Hutten on Car Washes, Cash Flow, and Passive Wealth
Whitney shares her path from early house hacking to building a diverse portfolio across asset classes and layers of the capital stack. She explains why express car washes (not gas-station automatics or high-labor full-service models) can be a high-margin, subscription-friendly business—when you buy right, operate at scale, and choose the right corner. We dig into seasonality, water-use rules, equipment choices, and competition, plus how her team centralized third-party management across 30 locations in ~15 communities to gain purchasing power and in-house tech talent. Whitney also lays out how passive investors can evaluate these deals, target a healthy mix of subscription vs. single-pay customers, and balance cash flow today with equity plays when market cycles turn.
Key Takeaways
Express car wash ≠ automated gas-station bay. It’s a long, smart tunnel with minimal staff and strong unit economics.
Subscriptions smooth revenue. Targets around 75–80% recurring, while keeping single-pay volume for new-customer flow.
Location is everything. Right submarket, right side of the road, and strong daily traffic (convenience wins).
Scale matters. Centralized ops, in-house techs, and bulk contracts can lift margins beyond mom-and-pop levels.
Risk & fit for LPs. Understand seasonality, local water policy, equipment vintage, and whether you’re taking development risk.
Portfolio strategy. Diversify across asset classes and up/down the capital stack to ride different market cycles.
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Ireland