When a market grows, a business often must pivot to grow with new and existing customers. This is true for quick lube businesses. However, the existing number of bays can only accommodate so much additional business. With a growing shop, an owner must consider whether to expand or move to a new location. Fast Lane Express Lube & Repair Shop in Thompson's Station, Tennessee, experienced such a challenge. Owner David Cianfaglione decided to expand by building additional bays in an adjacent building.
The Challenge
"I actually built the shop in '05," explains Cianfaglione. "I took advantage of a program with Pennzoil."
Cianfaglione opted for an appearance package offered to the franchise. "It was a three-bay shop with a seating area in the lobby, customer bathrooms, and storage upstairs," Cianfaglione tells NOLN.
The business grew swiftly as the surrounding area expanded, and by 2017, the owner of Fast Lane determined that the shop needed more lanes or bays.
"We were growing as the area and community were growing. I realized I had to change with the times. We had to get our mechanic out of our building," Cianfaglione recalls.
"The area really started to blow up in 2016, and we were starting to put ideas together. We knew we had to do something new in the area and grow in the area," he states.
He devised different plans. Due to the existing space, zoning, and the shop's needs, one plan emerged as the most viable. The shop ultimately expanded to six bays. However, it wasn't possible to remodel under the same roof. The shop had to manage how to divide business and direct traffic.
"The town at the time when I approached them to change the direction of the driveway and make it flow better didn't approve that," the shop owner recalls. "We had to put [the driveway] between two buildings and the parking in the rear."
Fast Lane never shut down during construction. The original three bays remained operational. The shop communicated with customers on social media, posting details of the expansion and continued operations. Local newspapers covered the progress of the construction.
"That lets people know we're not going anywhere; we're just getting bigger," Cianfaglione says.
The Solutions
With a divided shop, Fast Lane divides duties between the two buildings. Oil changes and quick services, such as fluid services, remain in the original building with three bays. The other shop handles brakes, tune-ups, tire rotations, wheel alignments, and other services. The new building and its three bays handle jobs that take more time.
There are exceptions. When a customer requires an oil change and additional services that can be handled in the other building, the car doesn't have to transfer between facilities. "If it's a compact or mid-size vehicle or SUV, we can provide [some services] in the lube shop. For the most part, we do the oil change first and bring it to the repair shop, and one of our techs or mechanics will do the repair," Cianfaglione explains.
The Aftermath
Two distinct buildings with assigned tasks came with a learning curve. Employees and signage were required to alert customers how to pass through the driveway and determine which building to go to for service.
"With the new driveway, we had to show customers how to get in," Cianfaglione says. "With employees teaching customers which way to go."
The business has two phone systems, one for each building. This presented a challenge in learning the system and remaining operational.
Once some of the kinks worked out, the shop was ready to open the floodgates.
"I did a postcard drop about three months after I opened the shop and got all the bugs out," Cianfaglione details. "We did a postcard drop for about 18,000 houses and homes in the community. We did Facebook posts and did a lot of pushes saying that we could do brakes and more repairs," he said.
Expanding the number of bays and the volume of business Fast Lane could handle allowed for new business opportunities.
"As I grew the shop and we put that repair shop in, we started to grow and get fleets with monthly charge accounts," remembers Cianfaglione.
Fleet accounts include electric, plumbing, and gas companies. "They have bigger vehicles that need maintenance, and we're able to accommodate and take care of them. It is a move in the right direction," he continues.
The Takeaway
As the area has grown, Fast Lane Express Lube & Repair Shop has adapted to the need. Doubling the number of bays and expanding beyond the quick-lube duties has signaled growth for the business and the community. Fast Lane reports an average of 90 cars on a daily basis in the lead quick-service shop. The next challenge is coming up with a new way to expand.
"I'm sure there's other ways to grow the business," Cianfaglione says. "Right now, we're looking at some of the electric cars in the area. We're looking at adding charging stations with overnight parking."
The shop is based on two acres of land and can handle the charging stations. Once the installation is in place, it would advertise the shop's capacity to handle electric vehicles.
"We're planning to hire a mechanic with experience working on electric vehicles," the shop owner states. "If we go into that, we would hire a mechanic that knows how to work on electric vehicles. It's a whole different part of the game."
Right now, business is flowing through the shop.
"At this time, everything is going well," says Cianfaglione. "It's still growing, the area is growing, and we're growing with it, taking care of cars as best we can."
About the Author
Enid Burns
Enid Burns is a writer and editor living in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and is a freelance contributor to NOLN. She has covered a wide range of topics from video games and consumer electronics to online advertising and business. When living in Manhattan for 20 years she did not own a car, and is often mistaken for that woman who brings her car to the shop and knows nothing. She has learned a great deal from writing for NOLN, but also learns from those shop owners who try to educate her on their services. Enid is a news junkie who spends evenings streaming TV shows and time off on long walks, bike rides, and fiber arts.