Rising Stars: Meet Jake Wiegel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Wiegel.

Hi Jake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was living and working in Southern California. After 20 years in law enforcement, an injury forced me to retire. I was always involved in the car scene in some way or another. Sitting around the house was depressing and I needed to focus on something, so I got more involved in a car club there.

After a couple of years of going to car shows, meets, cruises, and charity events, I ended up at a car show with Hector Gomez, who was the president of another car club and worked for Chemical Guys. During a conversation with him, I learned Chemical Guys were seeking franchisees to open Detail Garage locations, including one in the area I lived. I followed up with Chad Zani, who at the time was working to expand the franchise locations nationwide. After working our way through the process, we decided to commit to opening a store in Colton, CA.

We grand opened Colton in February 2019 and ran that location until January 2021. At that point, the store was sold to Chemical Guys to run as a “brand store,” owned and operated directly by Chemical Guys. My family moved to Middle Tennessee and began the search for a location that would be a good fit for a Detail Garage store locally. After several months, we selected a site and began the process of opening a store.

We grand opened Detail Garage Nashville on January 8, 2022… 2 days after good snow! The grand opening surpassed our expectations, given the recent weather event and lingering snow and ice conditions.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Talking to people on a daily basis and being a resource for our community relating to products and processes to achieve true car care is the part of what we do that is invigorating and recharges me. The business behind the scenes is the part that challenges me… luckily my wife, Jamie, is much smarter than I am and helps a lot with the books.

We are currently struggling with the same issue as many business owners are in finding good people to work with. There are many days I am working alone, but most of our community is GREAT and patient as I help people with questions and recommendations. There are times we end up spending quite a bit of time with a person to make sure they get what they need to achieve their goals. We try to let all customers know if we are about to do a demonstration or explain products and processes.

From a business perspective, Chemical Guys have a great support team and they are always available to help. Chad Zani was a tremendous resource for me when I was new to this business. There are MANY aspects of running a business and I am good at some and need help with other aspects. Chad was instrumental in helping me understand social media engagement and marketing.

He was always available by phone to give a little pep talk if I was feeling overwhelmed. We got through it together.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Detail Garage is a Destination location for true car care, professional auto detailing supplies, detailing equipment, car care accessories, and training.

Started by professional auto detailers and passionate care enthusiasts at heart, Detail Garage was born out of a need to create the ultimate playground and community for car care enthusiasts. Our expert technicians are here to answer any questions and give recommendations for any car care needs.

Detail Garage was founded with the goal of providing auto enthusiasts with the highest quality car care products available on the market today. Throughout the years, we have remained dedicated to providing our patrons with uniquely efficacious car care products, accessories, and knowledge. Each of us at Detail Garage is committed to serving our customers and communities alike through the highest service standards.

We hold detailing and polishing classes onsite in Nashville. Our system-based educational programs combined with our unmatched team of world-wide professional detailers and educators are here to provide you with the industry’s best and most exciting, innovative, comprehensive, hands-on, and smart training program for professional auto detailing. Anyone interested is welcome to call us or check out our Facebook page under “events” and see when a class you may be interested in is scheduled for the remainder of 2022.

While most auto care stores have a generic, impersonal vibe and don’t adequately capitalize on the enthusiasm that many people have about caring for their cars, we envisioned a spacious location that welcomed customers with a relaxed atmosphere where car enthusiasts of all ages could comfortably hang out, test new products, and ask the opinion of helpful, knowledgeable, staff.

We are always excited to invite our community to participate in our monthly Rides and Coffee events, where we provide a place for everyone to gather and share their passion for SHINE! We hold our Nashville Rides and Coffee on the last Sunday of each month, The Rides and Coffee events can also be found in our events on Facebook.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Detail Garage Nashville is a locally family-owned and operated small business.

We are excited to meet new people and see your rides! Hearing success stories and the excitement in our customer’s voices when they tell us how well a project turned out and how well our products and processes worked for them is very rewarding.

Pricing:

• Polishing Kit with Free polishing class – $542 (base) with a free polishing class, valued at $199.99
• Polishing Class – $199.99
• Basic Detailing Class – $99.99

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: Detailgarage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detailgarage_nashville/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Detailgaragenashville
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chemicalGuys