SHOP: Babcock Auto Care LOCATION: Rochester, Minn. OWNER: Jeremy and Jeana Babcock SIZE: 10,000 square feet
MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 671 ANNUAL REVENUE: $2.97 million
1) When Jeremy and Jeana Babcock moved into their current facility, they wanted to create an environment that would be welcoming to everyone. In order to do this, the Babcock’s and their landlord invested in a total shop makeover before opening.
2) The largest financial investment of the makeover was the 11 new glass garage doors that were installed. The Babcock’s installed these so their technicians would have as much as light as possible.
3) Jeana had an integral part in every aspect of the remodel, including the logo. Jeremy's uncle, a graphic designer, helped come up with the shop’s logo, which is backlit at night on the shop’s outdoor sign. It was important to the Babcocks to use the family name to honor Jeremy's grandmother, who passed away at 102.
4) The lobby is where the majority of the remodel was done. The mechanical shop that occupied the space before had tires in the front of the lobby. Jeana didn’t want the rubber smell coming through, so she got rid of those and created different areas in the lobby designated for different activities, including a kid’s play area. As a mother of four, this area was a very important for Jeana.
5) Jeana also understands that parents may have work or other tasks they need to get done, while their children play. That’s why she created an area near the children’s area with high top tables.
6) The pattern on the wall was created by a local artist and is based off a chair that’s in the kid’s area.
7) The Babcocks insisted on a fireplace during the renovation, despite their landlord thinking it was excessive. They say it gives the lobby a cozy, welcoming feel. The gas fireplace is turned on when the temperatures drop in Minnesota.
8) In front of the fireplace is a coffee table that Jeana created by shortening the legs of a dining room table. The table has all of the shop’s social media and shuttle information, in case someone doesn’t want to wait at the shop.
9) Babcock’s also has a puzzle table, but it’s not for kids. The area is separated from the children’s area and has 1,000-piece puzzles, which Jeana says are a big hit.
10) The colors from the lobby are echoed in the bathroom. The floor, which dips down toward a drain, was made more aesthetically pleasing by Jeana, who created a tile mosaic around the drain.
11) Along with the standard magazines, the shop also has copies of the local newspaper, which carries stories that Jeana writes. Jeana’s article comes out the first Thursday of every month and features snippets from her life and auto repair tips.
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