A former San Antonio-area employee is taking Club Car Wash to court, claiming the growing chain stiffed him on tens of thousands in promised bonuses and asking a judge to turn the fight into a class action. Tristen Cole Reeves, 28, of Converse, filed suit on May 27 in Bexar County, saying his written employment agreement guaranteed a performance bonus that never fully materialized. He wants the court to certify a class of about 100 current and former workers and is seeking more than $2 million in damages.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, Reeves says he was entitled to $29,028 in bonus pay but received only $7,257, or roughly 25 percent of what he expected. The complaint, as described by the paper, says Reeves signed a written employment agreement that called for a bonus payout in March, but the full amount never came through. The San Antonio Express-News also reports that in a separate 2024 case the company denied liability but agreed to set up a settlement fund of up to $600,000 for eligible maintenance technicians. In the new lawsuit, Reeves seeks damages, return of any withheld bonus money, and a court declaration that affected employees must be made whole.
Reeves also alleges that district manager Odom Smith and regional manager Ken Fallert told staff during a Microsoft Teams meeting on April 28 that bonuses promised in individual employment contracts would be paid at only 25 percent of the amount owed. When he tried to pull up his employment documents, his online access to company resources was locked, the complaint says. "Within approximately two hours of that communication, Plaintiff’s employment was terminated for what appears to be a pretextual policy violation," the filing states, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Reeves is represented by San Antonio attorney Russell McWhorter, who, according to the paper, declined to comment.
Company growth and investor ties
Club Car Wash traces its origins to a family-owned operation called Tiger Express Car Wash, founded in 2006, and rebranded in 2019 as it pushed into new states, according to the company’s own materials. Those documents also note that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became an investor in 2020 as the chain scaled up. In recent years, the business has moved aggressively into Texas markets, with company materials listing dozens of locations nationwide and highlighting the rapid rollout that brought the brand into the San Antonio area.
Legal stakes and what’s next
The lawsuit raises contract and unjust enrichment claims that could end in a negotiated settlement, but Reeves is also pushing for class-action status, a step that would significantly increase the potential exposure for Club Car Wash if a judge signs off. Court records show the company already faced related employee litigation in 2024 in federal court in Missouri, where workers alleged improper pay practices, according to Justia Dockets. The new Bexar County case has been assigned to State District Judge Nadine Nieto’s 285th Court at the Bexar County Courthouse, as reflected on the Bexar County court page. The matter will start to move once Club Car Wash is formally served and files its response.
