How Detail Garage Franchisees Continue To Thrive In Uncertain Times

Franchisees continue to thrive with Detail Garage, an exclusive destination for the Chemical Guys brand of auto detailing supplies, detailing equipment, car care accessories, and training.. As the brand gears up to reach 100 open units by the end of 2022, franchise partners such as Angel Ruizcastillo — who owns two locations in Murrieta and Hemet, California — have played an integral role in the brand’s success.

Ruizcastillo, a former customs and border protection agent for the San Diego area, opened his first location in Murrietta in June 2019. Soon after, he opened his Hemet location in October 2021. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, both locations, nestled in the car-loving community of California’s Inland Empire, continued to see traffic and community engagement.

“Being in Southern California, the sunny weather is a plus for this business,” said Ruizcastillo. “Also, this is a very car-oriented area saturated with Detail Garages about 30 minutes from each other — and we still have so many customers.”

Ruizcastillo identified Detail Garage’s strong branding and marketing as prime factors in the brand’s success, saying the logo is hard to miss and stays in the customer’s mind.

“Detail Garage has built an advertising machine,” said Ruizcastillo. The Detail Garage Instagram page has over four hundred thousand followers, and all the Chemical Guys account has over one million followers. Chemical Guysis also building awareness with distribution through Amazon and other big-box stores, which projects the brand to a larger market and helps us grow as a franchise.”

Ruizcastillo says he doesn’t just rely on the franchise’s corporate marketing efforts. With the help of his wife Janice, who Ruizcastillo called “the driving force of everything that customers see in our stores,” he has built his own innovative marketing and outreach strategies, including their own marketing videos and photography, to help their business stand out from competitors.

“We are very particular when it comes to our marketing,” said Ruizcastillo. “We do everything in house, and I believe that sets us apart from other brands in our area.” 

Chad Zani, Detail Garage’s director of business development, emphasized the importance of marketing within each Detail Garage location and said Ruizcastillo’s locations are a prime example of optimal video and photo content.

“We are proud to see an owner so engaged with his stores and audience,” said Zani. “This level of marketing no doubt fuels his locations’ success, and we’re excited to see the growth Angel has in 2022.”

Another accomplishment Ruizcastillo is particularly proud of is his all-female-led car-detailing classes, which he says opens his shops up to a broader range of customers.

“I wanted to empower females to teach guys coming into these classes who probably think they know it all,” said Ruizcastillo. “In the first class, I had this five-foot-tall, 120 pound girl, who seemed very easy to intimidate. But she told this guy how to detail his car with all the right products, and the car looked great. The guy quickly realized he had a lot to learn and signed up for another class.”

Several other Detail Garage locations also now have all-female-led classes, and Ruizcastillo is proud to see his idea catch on.

Looking ahead, Ruizcastillo says he is continuing to focus on producing top-notch marketing content for his location and is bringing a master course to his new location. But more than anything, he is eager to continue engaging with his community.

“We do a lot of events for kids at the fire department and the police department,” said Ruizcastillo. “We also do events to help veterans. We are just trying to grow our current locations and look for opportunities to give back along the way.”

For more information, visit: https://www.detailgarage.com/ 

About Detail Garage

Started in 2008 by professional auto detailers, Detail Garage was born out of a need for the ultimate playground and community for car care enthusiasts. It is the country's go-to retail car care store for passionate car owners and detailing professionals. With over 80 locations already in operation around the world, the Detail Garage team is looking to reach 100 units open this year, followed by 50 locations added to the system each year following.

About Chemical Guys

Driven by adventure, a passion for shine, and a love for the road ahead, Chemical Guys is a worldwide leader in automotive detailing products for car care enthusiasts and professionals. From exclusive small-batch waxes to cutting edge ceramic coatings, and specialty cleaners for exteriors and interiors, Chemical Guys sets the industry standard when it comes to product innovation, technological advancement and education. Based in Southern California, Chemical Guys has evolved from a handful of passionate car fanatics to a global lifestyle brand with the largest digital library of automotive detailing "how to" content available. Learn more and join the Chemical Guys family at ChemicalGuys.com.