What impression do customers get when pulling up to your shop?
A lot of time and money are put into the answer. Whether it’s an independent shop or a franchise model, the goal is to set customers at ease with a clean look and an eye-catching appeal.
For this year’s Best Looking Lube contest, NOLN sought shops with those qualities. In addition to an appealing design, a clean shop is easier said than done, but it makes a world of difference to make an impact with a customer.
Thank you to everybody who submitted entries this year. Keep them coming—NOLN plans to feature great-looking shops throughout the year in 2020!
A special thanks goes to Chevron Havoline xpress lube for sponsoring this year’s Best Looking Lube feature.
Best Looking Lube
Fast Eddy’s
Meridian, Idaho
After years operating multiple quick lubes and convenience stores, Steve Eddy is now all in on one location.
In past years, even with a lot of land to work with, Eddy says that his shops were still working to capacity.
“The last facility I built in 2011 was on four acres,” he says. “We had a three-bay lube and we’d already maximized it. We were full all the time.”
He ultimately sold his old shops and now focuses on one recently completed location. The new Fast Eddys campus is 5.5 acres in size and includes a car wash, C-store and quick lube shop. About 69 employees work in the entire operation.
The shop, a Havoline xpress lube, has six bays that are tall, open and inviting. It’s a commanding building from the outside, but customers should really enjoy the spacious interior.
“That was my intent,” he says. “It’s not only better for the consumer but better for the crew.”
Eddy says he put special attention toward filling the customer spaces with homestyle furniture and comfortable amenities.
It’s the clean facade, attention-getting colors and bold design that earned Fast Eddy’s the title of Best Looking Lube for 2019.
Runner-up
Jiffy Lube Multicare
Carrollton, Texas
The four-bay Jiffy Lube Multicare in Carrollton, Texas is easy on the eyes, with the multi-hued brick and stone exterior giving a nice, textured look.
The franchisee, Allied Lube Texas, picked some of the color choices to flow with other construction in the area, including a nearby school, said Bob Seidmeyer, vice president of operations. But the end result stands out in its own right.
“We knew we needed the store to stick out and we had a few competitors there,” he says.
NOLN liked the overall look of the building, as well as the window choices for the customer entrance area. You can’t go wrong with that bay door look.
Allied runs a clean shop inside as well, particularly in the lower bays, which are as spotless as any in the business.
Runner-up
E-Z Oil Change
Lube in Greenville Texas
This independent, two-bay shop gives off the impression that the operator really cares about the business.
The shop has a simple design, but it’s well-maintained, and the white exterior offers a bright welcome to customers. The customer area is full of details that show the personal care taken to put it all together.
This was the first shop for the family owners, and they added a second along the way. Now more than three decades in, E-Z Oil Change is still going strong.
