SafeWay Driving Increases Texas Presence to Harness Growing Demand

In the three short years since SafeWay Driving began franchising, it has grown from its original five locations to 25 locations. And for the Texas-based driving education franchise, this is just the beginning. Providing the highest level of driving education possible, SafeWay Driving continues to spread its concept to more communities than ever before with a mission to prevent parents from receiving “the phone call” nobody wants.

“Most driving education systems available to new drivers aren’t using up-to-date materials,” said Ann Littman, CEO of SafeWay Driving. “We need to make sure our students are equipped to handle all of the new distractions, like cell phones and the abundance of 18-wheelers on the road, that other systems may not address.”

To help better educate students preparing to get their licenses, SafeWay Driving utilizes convenient and effective online courses coupled with in-car training. The brand also hires and trains the best driving instructors in Texas, ensuring that students have the necessary assistance every step of the way. It’s that level of dedication that has helped the brand grow throughout the Austin, Houston and College Station areas in Texas.

Now, with plenty of room for growth, SafeWay is focusing on continuing to expand its reach throughout the Lone Star state over the next couple years. The Dallas/Fort Worth and Plano areas are high on the brand’s list when it comes to where they’re looking to grow next. And within the markets the brand currently has a presence--like Austin, Houston and College Station--its goal is to open more supporting locations to address the growing demand for quality driving schools. From there, the brand plans to go national.

“Texas cities like Houston are growing so rapidly, that the demand for more driving schools is definitely there,” Littman said. “As more people move to major hubs like Dallas and San Antonio, they don’t necessarily want to live in the middle of the city, but often choose to commute from surrounding communities, which offers a more family-oriented environment. Those areas have a booming population and we’re seeing a real need for more programs like SafeWay.”

In 2014, SafeWay also launched the Foundation for Safe Driving, a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing additional support to local schools and spreading the message of driver safety to the public.

“Texas is such a huge state and it’s really a melting pot,” Littman said. “We have different people from all different cultures driving on our roads. So for us, that’s a testament to how many different lives we can touch. There’s so much passion for people here. We’ve found that Texas is a great place to make a powerful, local impact.”

Even with the SafeWay Driving’s plan to add anywhere between 25 and 50 new locations throughout the state, the Texas market still wouldn’t be close to fully saturated. According to Littman, SafeWay could meet the demand for each major city in Texas with around 25 locations each.

SafeWay locations are divided by school zones, rather than territories, so investments range vary depending on how many zones a franchisee chooses to operate in, and how many cars (for training purposes) a franchisee purchases. Because SafeWay Driving doesn’t require franchisees to maintain a physical location, investment ranges are lower in relation to other franchise models, ranging from $56,575 on the low end for one school zone with one car to $158,350 on the high end for one school zone with three cars.