Sota Shine opens world’s longest car wash in Brooklyn Park

Sota Shine has opened Sota Shine One-Six-Nine in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, with a car wash tunnel that tops 300 feet and an all-indoor vacuum area. The project expands the Twin Cities car wash market with a record-size facility built for year-round use.

Why it matters: - Sota Shine One-Six-Nine introduces a record-setting car wash experience in the Twin Cities. - The Brooklyn Park site is designed to let customers wash and clean vehicles indoors, which matters in Minnesota’s weather. - The facility adds a new option for drivers looking for a larger, year-round car wash with more on-site amenities.

What happened: - Sota Shine opened its newest location, Sota Shine One-Six-Nine, in Brooklyn Park at Highway 169 and 109th Ave N. - The company says the tunnel is the world’s longest car wash at more than 300 feet. - The site includes the Twin Cities’ first all-indoor vacuum area.

The details: - The tunnel surpasses the previous 255-foot record held by Buc-ee’s in Katy, Texas. - Sota Shine says the tunnel is more than double the national average car wash length of 120 feet. - The facility is almost 35,000 square feet, or about five times the size of the average car wash, according to founder Nick Netley. - The vacuum area has 32 vacuum bays. - The site also includes detailing carts and floor mat cleaning stations. - Sota Shine opened its first location in Waconia in 2022. - The company later opened a Maple Grove site that combined a car wash and self-serve dog wash under one roof. - EntreBank financed the Brooklyn Park project. - Frana Companies served as general contractor for the Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove locations. - Frana Companies also worked through pre-construction and design phases while helping maintain project budgets.

Between the lines: - Sota Shine is using scale and convenience to differentiate itself in a crowded car wash market. - The indoor vacuum concept is a clear response to Minnesota’s weather, which can make outdoor cleaning less appealing for much of the year. - The company’s Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove projects suggest a broader strategy focused on multi-use, high-amenity sites.

What's next: - Sota Shine is directing customers to its website and social channels for more information. - The company’s expansion pattern suggests more innovation-driven locations could follow if the Brooklyn Park site performs well.

The bottom line: - Sota Shine is betting that record size, indoor convenience, and weather-proof service will help it stand out across the Twin Cities.