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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Grease Monkey vs Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Grease Monkey2025 FDDTommy’s Express Car Wash2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Grease Monkey

    $9,577 – $1,972,033

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    $122,347 – $11,846,697

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Grease Monkey

    $39,900

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Grease Monkey

    10%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Before you compare

    • Grease Monkey figures come from its 2025 FDD and Tommy’s Express Car Wash figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Grease Monkey and Tommy’s Express Car Wash disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Grease Monkey: 18, Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 39). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Grease Monkey

    $9,577 – $1,972,033
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    $122,347 – $11,846,697
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Grease Monkey

    $39,900
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Grease Monkey

    10%
    Royalty Rebate Program
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2%
    h the Royalty Fee The Brand Development Fund is described in Item 11. Local Marketing — 2
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Grease Monkey

    1%
    Advertising Contribution maximum — 1%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    1%
    hdrawn by EFT from your designated bank account, as applicable. Brand Development Fee — 1 — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Grease Monkey

    5,462
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 64

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    260
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Grease Monkey

    +5,125
    Calculated: 337 at end of 2022 → 5,462 at end of 2025

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    +85
    Calculated: 175 at end of 2023 → 260 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Grease Monkey

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Grease Monkey

    1999
    2025 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2016
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Grease Monkey

    1971
    2025 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Grease Monkey
    Franchised (3,751 locations) — other measures
    $2,742,768
    other Gross Income
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 55
    Franchised locations — other measures
    73.7 percent
    other GDC Payout Rate
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56
    Franchised (3,797 locations) — other measures
    13 percent
    other GDC CAGR
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    +15 more groups in the full report
    Tommy’s Express Car Wash
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second Year Outlets open 12 to less than 24 months and open 12 full months in 2…
    0.6 percent
    other Second Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Fourth Year Outlets open 48 to less than 60 months and open 12 full months in 2…
    $9,579
    other Fourth Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third Year Outlets open 36 to less than 48 months, with 12 full months in 2025
    $1,793,602
    other Third Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    +36 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Grease Monkey vs Tommy’s Express Car Wash: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Grease Monkey or Tommy’s Express Car Wash?
    Grease Monkey: $9,577 – $1,972,033 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Tommy’s Express Car Wash: $122,347 – $11,846,697 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Grease Monkey. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Grease Monkey and Tommy’s Express Car Wash royalties compare?
    Grease Monkey: 10% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22); Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 2% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Grease Monkey or Tommy’s Express Car Wash?
    Grease Monkey: 5,462 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 64); Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 260 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Grease Monkey and Tommy’s Express Car Wash disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Grease Monkey has reviewed Item 19 figures for 18 location groups; Tommy’s Express Car Wash has reviewed Item 19 figures for 39 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Grease Monkey report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Tommy’s Express Car Wash report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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