Shop Look: Fast Eddy's of Meridian, Idaho

Jan. 25, 2022

This operator says that he built a solid customer base who helped get them through a rebranding process.


SHOP STATS: Fast Eddy's   Location:  Meridian, Idaho  Operator: Steve Eddy  Staff Size: 70 (across all profit centers)  Shop Size: 6 Bays

The Place to Be

Owner Steve Eddy took his industry knowledge and went for a supersized customer experience with this 5.5-acre site that includes a C-store, fuel stations, car wash, and a sandwich shop.

“It's a pretty active site with about 70 active employees with all the different profit centers,” Eddy says.

The building went up in 2019. Eddy wanted each detail of the location, including the quick lube shop, to have a premium look and feel for whatever drivers need.

“And I tried to bring in some design elements that are easy for the staff to take care of, easy to keep clean, but hide some of the dirt that happens in a quick lube facility,” he says.

The result is what Eddy calls an “auto spa” feel that puts the customer at ease when their vehicle is in the hands of Eddy’s team.

Bigger in Idaho

Defining features of the quick lube shop are the cavernous bays, which are doubled up behind three doors to total six bay stations. Each door is 12 feet wide for accommodate the many pickup drivers in the state.

“We dont have to worry about hitting mirrors, causing damage, causing issues,” Eddy says. “And again it gives it that open feeling that is very inviting to the consumer.”

Eddy wanted the space not just for ease of entry and exit, but also because it reduces customer anxiety over pulling into a cramped garage. Over years of working with quick lubes, he says that this was a common experience.

“You just learn over the years that making the ingress easier to get into,” he says.

Recent Rebrand

Eddy’s shop started as a Havoline xpress lube, but in 2021 he finished a rebranding effort.

Fast Eddy’s is one of the first Chevron xpress lube shops after the company announced its own quick lube licensing program.

Some signage and paint needed to be changed for the rebrand, as well as staff uniforms and other logistics. But for the most part, Eddy says the process went smoothly. The key, he says, was the solid foundation that his staff had built with customers. That kept them coming back, no matter the sign on the door.

“The consumer has a lot of choices, and you need to find a ‘wow’ factor,” Eddy says. “And I think you can create a ‘wow’ factor with your building, your interior, and you have to back it up with your crew and your staff. And if you do those things, I think that consumers will be very loyal to your location.”