Shop Name: Xpress Auto Care
Location: Baldwinsville, New York
Staff Size: 4
Number of Bays: 3
Shop Size: Approx. 3,000 square feet (with 1,400 square feet of additional space available for lease)
Xpress Auto Care is an independent operation with four locations in New York. The Baldwinsville location is the newest, having opened in August 2022.
The land for the shop once contained an old house, two garages and a slaughterhouse from a former cow farm. Xpress Auto Care president John Romeo and his team worked with the city to ensure that everything was properly demolished before they broke ground in December 2021. Despite supply chain shortages and winter season construction, the shop was completed in about 9 months.
“It wasn’t hard, you’ve just got to have the right people around you,” Romeo says. “Between my attorney, my builder, my sign guy and the engineers, I just relied on them to do their job and they were a great asset to me.”
Know What Matters
From the sections of brick adorning the outside of the building to the newness of the interior, Romeo says the architectural components of the shop give it a wow factor.
“It’s very comfortable for the customer,” Romeo says of the waiting room. “It definitely doesn’t look like a quick lube, which is my goal.”
In the shop area, epoxy flooring provides a durable workspace for the team. The building is designed in such a way that keeps everyone supported and productive.
“I always look at things from efficiency and reducing steps for my guys,” Romeo says.
This includes keeping some bulk oil tanks downstairs, having computers at each podium and handheld systems for checking out customers. Additionally, there is a dedicated employee break room that Romeo says has nicer cabinets than his own home.
Plan Ahead
The building has an additional 1,400 square feet of space attached to it that Romeo is looking forward to getting a tenant into.
He took care of all the planning and zoning needs, including getting the space set up for a drive-thru restaurant. Not only does this addition make the shop stand out, but it also offers an avenue for growth into the future.
“It’s a different concept,” Romeo says. “[It’s] not just the oil change.”
Romeo has been business for himself for 21 years and involved with the industry for 33. He’s proud of his shops and foresees the impact of the Baldwinsville location for years to come.
“We certainly did do things for the long haul,” Romeo says. “It’s probably the nicest commercial building in that town. Not to brag, but it probably is.”
