March 24, 2020—Take 5 Oil Change President Danny Rivera said in an email message to employees that he had to make the "most difficult decision" of his career by laying off more than half of employees at company-owned shops.
The outbreak of COVID-19, and the restrictions on business and personal activities have caused worldwide economic turmoil and tough times for small and large businesses alike.
The decision at Take 5 comes amid sales and car counts that Rivera said "declined drastically" in recent weeks.
"In light of these recent events, I made the most difficult decision of my career, to let go of over half of the team members from our corporate-owned shops as well as additional Support Center staff," the email said.
"So today, under half of the workforce that existed just a few short days ago remain," Rivera wrote in another part of the email. "What can we do to help ensure this sacrifice is not in vain? The answer is easy to say but difficult to do."
Take 5 finished 2019 with 516 franchised and company-owned locations, and the brand continued to add stores in 2020. While the layoffs are limited to company-owned stores and support staff, it's unclear how many stores that includes.
In an emailed statement, Driven Brands Communications Manager Lauren Hommas said that the company is parting ways with "some of our team members." She didn't comment on the number of people affected.
"We are grateful for the service and contributions of every member of our team," Hommas said. "Though this is a very challenging time for our entire Take 5 family, we remain hopeful that business and hiring will return to normal soon."
