Mister Car Wash Inc announced a definitive merger agreement under which Leonard Green & Partners (LGP) will acquire the company in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.1 billion. The news pushed the company’s stock up 16.6% in Wednesday premarket trading.
Under the terms of the agreement, LGP - which already owns approximately 67% of Mister Car Wash’s outstanding shares - will purchase the remaining shares for $7.00 per share in cash. That offer equals a 29% premium to the company’s volume-weighted average share price during the 90-day period ending with Feb. 17, 2026.
The merger received unanimous approval from a Special Committee made up of independent directors on Mister Car Wash’s board. Once the transaction is completed, expected in the first half of 2026, the company will become privately held and its shares will be removed from trading on the Nasdaq.
John Lai, Mister Car Wash’s chief executive officer, said the move to private ownership is intended to allow the company to accelerate growth by increasing investment across stores, personnel, and technology to pursue the opportunities management sees ahead.
Alongside the takeover announcement, Mister Car Wash released fourth-quarter results. Net revenues for the quarter rose 4% versus the same period a year earlier, reaching $261.2 million. Comparable-store sales increased by 1.6%, and Unlimited Wash Club memberships expanded by 7% year-over-year to about 2.3 million members.
For the full year 2025, the company reported that it surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time, with net revenues up 6% to $1.05 billion. During 2025, Mister Car Wash opened 29 new greenfield locations, bringing its total to 548 sites as of December 31, 2025.
Financial and legal advisers to the deal are named in the agreement. BofA Securities and Centerview Partners are acting as financial advisers to the Special Committee. Latham & Watkins is serving as legal counsel to Mister Car Wash, while Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is advising LGP.
Context and next steps
The deal structure moves majority and minority shareholders toward a single-cash-out price, with the 29% premium based on the specified 90-day VWAP through Feb. 17, 2026. Closing remains subject to customary conditions and is expected to occur in the first half of 2026. After closing, Mister Car Wash’s common shares will no longer trade on Nasdaq and the company will operate as a private entity under LGP’s ownership.
The company’s recent operating results provided alongside the acquisition announcement show moderate top-line growth in both the quarter and fiscal year 2025, incremental expansion of membership, and continued unit growth via new greenfield openings.