Ted Rippey: Take 5’s quicklube franchisees positioned to obtain business success

Eager to be in on the building of yet another enterprise, Ted now serves as vice president of franchising for the Take 5 Oil Change chain.

First opening in Metairie, La. in 1984, the quicklube’s marketing reach has since expanded into 18 states.

“This year’s recent growth will bring Take 5’s total footprint to nearly 500 stores,” reports Jon Gaiman, chief development officer at Driven Brands, Take 5’s parent company. “Multi-unit investors are taking notice.”

A special savings campaign on royalty fees is running through March 31 of 2020.

“If you’ve been considering becoming a Take 5 franchise owner, I encourage you to act now before someone else takes the area you are interested in,” advises BJ Singh, a satisfied proprietor of several locations.

“Take 5 is the game changer for this industry. With this offer, we’re stepping up our efforts to give multi-unit franchise owners even more reasons to invest,” according to Rippey, who recently answered a series of questions posed by Aftermarket Business World:

How do you set yourself apart from the competition?

Take 5 Oil Change services are all drive-through, so customers stay in their car during the entire service. It’s truly a customer-focused experience.

Each customer is greeted with a free bottle of water when they drive up. Their oil change service is fast and friendly and all done while they sit in the comfort of their own vehicle.

Additionally, Take 5 does not use high pressure up-sell tactics to increase the average ticket. Instead, they adhere to a playbook that is designed to educate customers on their customer needs – Take 5 knows that if customers have a pleasant experience that is free from a pressured up-sell they will then be more likely to return and refer their friends and family to visit a Take 5.

How did you come up with the concept of the drive-through oil change? What inspired you?

The founder, Monty Montgomery, would fly around the country in his propeller plane in the 80’s and 90’s visiting other quick lubes and convenience stores for ideas for his different New Orleans businesses. It was on these trips where he got the idea for drive through oil changes and that’s what inspired him to test the drive-through concept in NOLA.

Was it easy to interest others in the idea?

Absolutely. Customers were immediately blown away by this disruptive new concept. Not having to take their children out of car seats or get pets out of the car became the new standard for convenience in our customers’ minds.

Are you seeking to recruit additional franchisees?

Absolutely. Take 5 offers a great opportunity for investors who are looking for a simple and replicable business model.

Are there particular metro areas/regions of the country that you are interested in expanding into?

Right now we are actively seeking franchisees for opportunities to expand the Take 5 brand to Midwest and Mountain states.

Are there particular areas of the country where drivers are especially receptive to drive-through oil changes?

 Everywhere! There are over 260 million registered vehicles in the U.S., and 99.9 percent of those need regular oil changes. And 100 percent of these drivers hate long, drawn-out repairs. Take 5 is the model for everyone and anyone wanting a fast and friendly service in 10 minutes or less.

Are there particular demographic qualities of the neighborhoods where you position new locations?

We have a very robust and analytical real estate and market planning approach. Beyond just specific demographics we also track vehicle registrations, co-tenancy, competition and many other variables to determine where the best trade areas are to grow the Take 5 brand.

What are some of the qualifications to become a franchisee?

Potential franchisees need a minimum of $750,000 net worth and $300,000 per location, and most franchisees sign up to do eight or more locations so net worth is typically at least $6 million. Additionally, we look for franchisees with a track record of success in the following areas: people development, real estate development and multi-unit ownership.

Which types of equipment are installed in the building? What are some of the other opening characteristics that need to be met?

We provide the franchisee an approved equipment list required to open and operate a new Take 5 Oil Change center. The package is only about $30,000 per location, which is a rather modest amount.

What are the staffing needs?

That depends on many factors, such as the number of bays, seasonality, etc., and we provide our franchisees with a formula to help determine the optimal staffing. That said, staffing is usually between 8-13 employees.\

What does your training program entail?

Take 5 offers an extensive training program tailored to the specific role of either store manager, assistant manager or technician that lasts between 2-4 weeks