Express tunnel

Definition

A conveyor wash the customer stays in the car for, the format consolidators favor on throughput.

Why It Matters

Format drives the economics and the buyer pool at the same time. An express tunnel with a membership base scales and sells to consolidators, while full-serve and self-serve trade on different and usually lower multiples, so the format you buy decides who you can sell to years later. It also decides the cost structure you are taking on: labor is thin and equipment maintenance is not, and a tunnel down for a week is a week with no revenue.