- Shop Name: Oceanside Auto LLC
- Owner: Gina Stewart
- Location: Old Saybrook, Connecticut
- Staff Size: 13
- Shop Size (in square feet): 2,750
- Number of Bays: 5 working Bays, 1 Emissions Bay
- Average Monthly Car Count: 385
- Annual Revenue: $2.7 Million
Oceanside Auto, founded in 1999 in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, is a stone’s throw or more from Long Island Sound. The shop, deliberately designed to look similar to a beach house, uses a combination of purposeful color and modern architecture to match the aesthetic of the town it serves.
"It's kind of like that Nantucket style. It fits into the beach area that we're in," Service Manager Daniel Stewart says. "We wanted something that looks similar to the houses in the area.”
A Plethora of Parking
In keeping with the neighborhood standard, Oceanside has a few parking spaces in front of the shop designated for waiters and emissions test customers. The bulk of the parking is tucked away behind the shop.
"We have a pretty big lot out back where we have about 60 to 70 (cars). Typically, what will happen is cars will come in and then they'll get moved right out back because there's only so many spaces up top," Stewart says.
Just Beachy
Inside the waiting area you’ll find a pair of service advisors, a parts manager and Stewart. The décor reflects the coziness of a vacation house complete with a scent
diffuser, snacks and beverages and framed Art Nouveau prints on the walls
"It revolves around feeling homey because when you walk into an auto repair shop ... you want them to feel as comfortable as possible,” says Stewart, adding that the shop offers shuttle service, as well.
From the Sound to the Bay
“Our first bay is emissions testing only. There's one guy who just does emissions all day long. The second bay is our alignment rack. On that we're doing a lot of tires, a lot of oil changes, a lot of brakes. The third bay opens up to four lifts. They're in front of each other.” says Stewart.
Future Prep
A few years ago, Stewart sent his shop master technician to hybrid school with Craig van Battenburg in Massachusetts to train on hybrids and EVs to ready the other
“Our next process is to start getting hooked up with Tesla. You can lease Tesla's equipment and scan tools. You can lease their data information and repair data. That's on the list within the next year," Stewart says.
