The Great Franchisee: Garrett Kubiak, Detail Garage, Detroit

Garrett Kubiak spent more than 15 years working in the finance industry, starting as a bank teller and working his way all the way up to director of finance. But his real passion has always been for cars. Just over two years ago, Kubiak turned that passion into a career in business ownership as a franchisee with Detail Garage, the 75-unit retail franchise for car care, professional auto detailing supplies, detailing equipment, car care accessories and training.

Kubiak first discovered Detail Garage through local car-showcase events, where he would show off his ‘68 Camaro. Kubiak quickly fell in love with the brand after discovering its Chemical Guys line of retail products, which he says is far superior than anything he’d been able to find at other retailers. When he learned that Detail Garage was a franchise, Kubiak jumped at the opportunity.

Today, Kubiak is the owner of two Detail Garage locations around Los Angeles. We spoke to Kubiak to learn more about his journey to franchising and his experience with the brand.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Garrett Kubiak: I grew up in metro Detroit. I wasn’t the most stellar human being prior to a big change in my life when I was 25. I moved to Chicago, I went back to school at DePaul University for a degree in marketing and I started working at the bank. I got a job at JP Morgan Chase, and I worked as a teller, customer service rep, personal banker and area sales manager. I was invited out to visit a friend in Los Angeles, and then the JP Morgan Chase/Washington Mutual merger happened and I stayed out there. I worked at City National Bank in Beverly Hills; I was a relationship manager and senior relationship manager there, and then I was recruited as director of finance for a small start-up called QALO that made silicone wedding bands. They became the largest silicone wedding band producer in the world. A lot of my previous business was working with small businesses, and I got a chance to sit from the passenger seat of a company that was expanding rapidly. That was a roller coaster. 

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Kubiak: We were in LA at the time, and my Chemical Guys experience started with being a fan. I was interested in a better product than what I could get in an auto parts store. We had a ‘68 Camaro that was our pride and joy, and we would go to the Detail Garage Los Angeles events, and that was my intro to the brand. Going to the main store and shopping there with that team. It all happened at once. My company QALO was thinking about selling and moving operations to Nashville. We were standing at a Rides and Coffee event, which is the bread and butter of what we do, and I happened to be next to a guy who used to work there and talking about how we were going to miss this camaraderie and this event. He mentioned to me, “We’re franchising, did you know anything about this?”

1851: How did you perform your research?

Kubiak: It was really unique. We got to meet Paul, and here’s a guy who’s tremendously successful at any endeavor he does. He finds out I’m interested and walks my wife and I through the HQ, the lab and the bottling and labeling area. I looked at my wife and said, “A guy who’s that passionate, to take 30-45 minutes during an event to walk us through this was pretty special to me, and that kind of leadership deserves at least my interest.” My wife knew how passionate I was for cars and automotive products, and that’s how the dance began.

1851: What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned during your time with Detail Garage?

Kubiak: Trust the process and believe in the brand. Those are two tremendous lessons we’ve learned. We don’t doubt performance, and we’ve been scared at times, but trust in the process and the brand as a new franchisee. This is my very first franchise, and I’ve been on the other side of the seat as a commercial banker, but it’s a very different experience when it's you who's responsible for doing the brand proud and being the best representation of the brand you can be.

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Kubiak: As an individual, the dream I had was already fulfilled. My dream was to come back home and move to a career I loved and I’m passionate about. Every day I leave my family behind for a reason, and why spend those minutes doing something that doesn’t make you absolutely happy? It took me 15 years to find that dream. Now, it’s managing the evolution of that dream and understanding that as a business, sometimes it’s bigger than you as an individual. It’s about expansion, and that’s going to require a certain number of stores to build to be that face. Or, do we want to just manage two stores and enjoy life?

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Kubiak: It’s what I learned when I was 25 years old and I was sitting across from a gentleman who was taking out some money from a very large investment portfolio, and he told me, “The only thing you can know with any certainty in life is do what you love and the money will come.” If you’re buying a franchise to make money, could you? Absolutely. If you’re doing it because it’s what you want to do and what you love, you’d be stupid not to. I’ve told that to every potential franchisee that’s come across my path in two and a half years.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Kubiak: I race motorcycles as a hobby; superbikes are my passion. Anything car-related, which is why this was such a great fit for me. We’ve always been into cars; my wife was a finance manager for a car dealership for years, and so we love anything automotive-related. We live two miles away from Woodward Avenue, which is the single biggest boulevard for automotive passion in the world, right here in metro Detroit.

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 70 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.