Headquartered in Mokena, Ill., and serving the Chicagoland area, Gas N Wash is standing out with upscale locations that provide a one-stop shopping experience complete with fuel, a car wash, food and beverages, gaming, and even a pet wash. The chain is rapidly growing its footprint through state-of-the-art, new-to-industry (NTI) locations and an investment in technology, including a new mobile app, a loyalty program, self-checkout kiosks and automated license plate readers at its car washes.
For all this and more, CStore Decisions is recognizing Gas N Wash as a Chain to Watch.
Getting Started
Owner Len McEnery founded Gas N Wash in 2011 and opened the first Gas N Wash in Mokena, Ill., in February 2012. A year later he built a second and third location and has continued growing ever since. Today, Gas N Wash operates 31 stores in Illinois. All but one of the locations are NTI stores, which has allowed Gas N Wash to offer sites with an upscale, modern appearance.
McEnery decided early on that Gas N Wash would be a fitting moniker for the chain.
“I was told years ago that places should be titled to what they do. When Gas N Wash was getting started, I thought, ‘We have a gas station and we have a car wash, so we should maybe call it Gas N Wash,’” McEnery said.
A short time later, he visited a friend with a car wash business, who confided that he had to buy a sign that said “gas” and a sign that said “wash” and display them out front so drivers could identify what the business offered. “And I said, ‘That’s what I’m going to call it: Gas N Wash,’” McEnery said.
McEnery had the advantage of decades of experience in the petroleum business before launching Gas N Wash. He began his career at 14 years old working for his brother’s Gas City business where he managed stores. In 2011 that business closed, and McEnery started out on his own.
“It was a little easier to get started because it wasn’t new to me. … I knew a lot of vendors and players in the game, and so I was able to put it together,” he said. “Without that it would be pretty difficult.”
Today, the family-owned company has second-generation family members woven throughout the business, including a son, daughter and two sons-in-law. The chain is focused on serving communities around the Chicagoland area and is concentrated on expanding its footprint in typically suburban locations.
Over the last six months alone, Gas N Wash has debuted four NTI sites.
“We opened a Crest Hill site at the end of December. We opened Caton Farm, Merrionette Park and Lemont, respectively, in February, March and April,” noted Gas N Wash VP of Finance Alex Kugar. At press time, Gas N Wash was preparing to debut another NTI site in Lockport in June. It’s also in the process of adding an addition onto its original location to accommodate a remodeled Dunkin’ and additional c-store space.
The convenience stores are branded “The Market” and range from 4,000 to 12,000 square feet and offer one to three quick-service restaurants (QSRs) inside, depending on the location. The stores feature a red brick interior and exterior, with eye-catching graphics to call out the fountain area, beer cave, cashier area and gaming area. Black chalkboard-style signs with white writing call out the various segments of the store, such as Frozen Foods, Ice Cubes and Ice Cold Drinks.
In the forecourt, Gas N Wash features unbranded gas.
“Some of the stores are fitted to bring electric vehicle (EV) charging in when we see that the timing is right for EVs, but we really haven’t seen the equipment that’s needed for quick charging yet,” McEnery said.
QSR-Powered Foodservice
On the food front, Gas N Wash partners with a number of QSRs, including Dunkin’, which it offers at 29 locations; Ta Canijo (11 sites); Do-rite Donuts & Chicken (two sites) — an artisanal doughnut shop featuring an ever-changing variety of doughnuts; Pop’s Italian Beef (two sites); Duke’s Drive-In (two sites); Mickey’s Gyros (two sites); Dickey’s BBQ (one site); and Great American Bagel (one site). Coming soon will be Taco Pros (two sites), Jimmy John’s (one site) and a Subway.
“All the stores have grab-and-go items. We also have a local pizza company in Chicago (Beggars Pizza) that brings pizza in several times daily. All the stores have cases that we sell the pizza slices out of,” McEnery said.
In addition, the stores offer a roller grill program and bake fresh cookies on-site daily. Several sites offer handmade sub sandwiches, but Gas N Wash largely avoids proprietary offerings to avoid competing with its QSR partners. Most of the coffee is sold through Dunkin’ or another QSR. Several of the QSRs offer delivery through Uber Eats and other third-party delivery services.
Car Wash Offering
Gas N Wash operates 28 car washes all co-located with its convenience stores. They feature 140-foot tunnels and are equipped with free vacuums, pay stations and license plate readers. Car wash customers can purchase a wash while buying gas at the pump, at the pay station or in-store and enter a code to access the car wash.
“Then you drive around, and the attendant will guide you on the track, on the conveyor and wash your car in 90 seconds for you,” McEnery said.
Customers belonging to Gas N Wash’s Wash Club program only have to purchase once, and then the chain’s automatic license plate readers recognize the plate and open the gate. Customers can purchase and manage car wash memberships online or in-app. Most of the car washes also feature a pet wash, so people can give their dog a bath on-site.
The stores also offer propane filling for barbecue tanks, etc., and feature a gaming section.
“We’re allowed six to 10 gaming machines, according to the Illinois video gaming ordinance,” elaborated McEnery.
Innovating With Technology
Gas N Wash also has its eye on technology. The chain launched its enhanced Gas N Wash Rewards app and loyalty program in 2024, working with Rovertown and Paytronix. The app has more than 40,000 users and now ranks amongst the top 5% on Rovertown’s platform, based on average monthly active users per store, which is particularly impressive considering the size of the chain.
While the Car Wash Club subscription and loyalty program are separate, Gas N Wash is now connecting those data points to provide an enhanced customer experience.
“We’re definitely listening to our customers, and that’s something they’ve been asking for. We’ve started to do that in the past few months, and we’ll continue to look for ways to join those two (programs) together,” said Laura Krawisz, VP marketing for Gas N Wash.
Gas N Wash has also rolled out self-checkout. Each store features two cashless self-checkout kiosks for those who prefer them.
“As far as technology, we’ve really just focused on what makes things easier and better for our customers,” McEnery added. “It goes back to serving that community. We want people to be able to use coupons, get deals and find things relevant to them in the app. Outside of the app, we want to extend that technology to other parts of the business too. We’re working on digital signage options; in our car wash we have the license plate reader technology. Anything that makes the customer experience better and makes things easier for them is where our focus is in the technology realm.”
Future Focused
Gas N Wash has continued growth plans on the horizon.
Currently it has two stores under construction with plans to break ground on a third location soon. It has two additional new builds slated to begin construction in late summer that would be set to open in 2025.
“In 2025, we’d be looking to start construction on four additional stores,” McEnery continued. “We’re always looking for property and good locations, and that’s not going to change.”
As the chain looks ahead, it plans to continue differentiating itself with high-quality stores and services.
“A lot of people stop at convenience stores because they have to — they have to get gas, or they have to get something. But we’re building a brand where people will stop because they want to,” Kugar said.
“Having started at 14, Len had a long time to think about what the best setup would be for his concept if he had the opportunity, and he had the opportunity in 2011,” continued Kugar. “His entire career has been in this industry, and he’s been focused on running convenience stores and car washes since he started his own business. I think it’s a great story of perseverance. Everyone here feels very fortunate to tap into the knowledge that he has and learn from what he’s been able to accumulate over the years and what he’s built.”
