In its 41st year, Take 5 Oil Change is ‘Driven’ for expansion
Ever pass by your favorite service station, happen to look up at the sticker on your windshield telling you you’re two months overdue for an oil change, and keep on driving because you don’t have up to an hour to kill in getting the job done?
Well, in 1984, outside of New Orleans, a new automotive chain arrived with a concept that might cause you to stop. Take 5 Oil Change held itself to a promise they’d get that important job done for you within five to 10 minutes.
The business grew to more than 60 locations in the Southeast by 2016 when it was acquired by Driven Brands, the operator of national automotive service concepts that include Meineke, Carstar, Maaco, and Auto Glass Now. Through franchising, Driven Brands has expanded Take 5’s presence into 42 states with more than 1,100 locations.
“We’re now going strongly into the Midwest and Northeast,” said Take 5 executive VP Mo Khalid, who is the chain's group president of maintenance. “We haven’t run into any challenges finding available space. Our franchisees know their markets well and have been very successful in opening great new locations.”
Khalid said that store margins are very high. It takes just four weeks to train new oil-change technicians, and the company strives to promote them within the business. He noted that more than 60% of emplyees in leadership roles in the chain started out on the oil-change and service lines. Two of them are now company VPs.
The business started out with all corporate-owned stores but accelerated its franchising efforts when Driven Brands took charge.
“We plan to double the number of our stores in the next four years. We’ll be a 2,500-location business one day,” Khalid said. “We get involved in our communities. We support local soccer teams, we have First Responders Month, and we give veterans 25% discounts all year long. We believe in giving back.”