J U M P S TA R T
Pegoraro Auto Repair BY MEGAN GOSCH PHOTOS COURTESY PEGOR ARO AUTO REPAIR
SHOP S TAT S Owner: Joe Pegoraro Location: Vancouver, Wash. Size: 6,000 square feet Staff Size: 10 (1 service advisor, 1 receptionist, 1 parts manager, 1 general manager, 4 techs, 1 shop helper, 1 part-time parts runner) Average Monthly Car Count: 124 Annual Revenue: $1.4 million
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1 / Opportune Timing For some, the chaos of 2020 brought new opportunity. Last spring Joe Pegoraro, owner of Pegoraro Auto Repair in Vancouver, Wash., had committed to growing his operation and was already working with an architect to draw up plans for a shop expansion when a gym in his same business complex called it quits. “We’d been trying to acquire space for a while and had finally decided to build up rather than out, when our landlord called with a deal on the gym space,” Pegoraro said. “We leapt at it.” Pegoraro wasted no time and set to work remodeling the space himself, while his team continued to work out of his original shop just across the alley.
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2 / Curate a Brand-Building Look Pegoraro had a clear vision for the space from the get-go, with his sights set on a sleek, polished, Apple store-style look. “I was going for more of a bright, airy retail vibe. I wanted a look I can build a brand off of, so I hired a designer to help make sense of it.” In the lobby, he kept the walls bright, and installed recessed and flush mounted LED lights, metallic pendant lights, and a sculptural fan salvaged from a Tesla dealership as striking accents designed to create a wow-worthy first impression. Plush leather sofas were added and a refreshment bar was built to give customers a relaxing space to wait, but a pair of new service advisor cubicles may have been the biggest challenge. Pegoraro built them from plexiglass—a material that was hard to find as demand skyrocketed at the beginning of the pandemic. Despite delays, he was able to finish the work in just three months.
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