Travis Kelce’s business investment dragged into a legal dispute.(Image via Getty Images)
Former employee Tristen Cole Reeves filed the case on May 27, 2026, in Bexar County, Texas. He estimates around 100 current and former employees could face similar claims. The lawsuit targets Club Car Wash Operating LLC and centers on bonus payments.
The payment was due in March 2026, but Reeves claims the company paid only 25% of what he was owed. The strongest allegation came from an April 28, 2026, Microsoft Teams meeting. Reeves claims Club Car Wash area manager Odom Smith and regional manager Ken Fallert told employees that “bonuses promised under their individual employment contracts would be paid at only 25% of the amount owed. On April 29, his attorney sent a preservation letter to the company. Club Car Wash representatives did not respond to multiple messages from the San Antonio Express-News when it published the report on June 15, 2026. The company began as Tiger Express Car Wash in 2006 and rebranded in 2019. At the time Kelce joined, it had 36 locations across Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa and planned further expansion. In the February 2, 2021, announcement of his ownership role, Kelce explained why he backed the company. The Express-News reported on June 15, 2026, that the company had opened its 250th location in 2025 and operated more than a dozen locations around San Antonio.
Because travis Kelce joined Club Car Wash’s ownership group in 2021, the dispute is notable.
Reeves had a written employment agreement that required Club Car Wash to pay him a bonus “upon satisfaction of stated performance measures, according to the lawsuit. Reeves says he tried to access his employment contract through the company’s online employee resources but found that access had been locked, restricted or destroyed. That statement appears in Reeves’ lawsuit and forms a central part of his complaint. The case then took another turn. Six days later, his lawyer contacted Club Car Wash vice president of operations Patrick Spellman about the bonus dispute. Reeves alleges that his employment ended roughly two hours after that communication. The lawsuit states that he was terminated “for what appears to be a pretextual policy violation. That is Reeves’ allegation, not a court finding. “After learning about the trajectory of the industry and knowing my partners have significant knowledge and experience in the space, I thought Club Car Wash was a fantastic opportunity, and I’m excited to be onboard. Club Car Wash has since expanded significantly.