Arnold has a new auto repair shop.
Fairway Automotive opened Dec. 18 at 1754 Jeffco Blvd., said Jason Gallahue, who owns the business with his wife, Lindsay.
The Arnold location is the couple’s fourth shop. They also own two locations in Crestwood and another in St. Louis.
“The pace that Arnold is coming up really attracted us,” said Jason Gallahue, 46, of High Ridge. “Not that it was not nice 15 years ago, but in the last 15 years, it has really elevated. We have a lot of existing customers who drive from Arnold who have been begging us to come. It just fits us very well. We like Arnold a lot.”
Fairway Automotive is housed in the building where Calvert’s Express Auto Service and Tire used to operate, and Gallahue said an Auto Zone parts rep told him and Lindsay, 41, that the location was available.
“I tell all of our reps that we are always looking to expand and if there are any opportunities to let me know,” Gallahue said. “He did when that (building) became available. We jumped on it.”
Gallahue said he and his wife have made improvements to the building. He said Fairway Automotive customers will have a nice place to wait while their vehicles are serviced.
“Our waiting rooms look more like a coffee shop than an auto repair shop,” he said. “We don’t believe in having hot rod magazines laying around out front. We try to do things differently than the normal auto repair.”
Gallahue also said Fairway Automotive is customer-centric, adding that customers receive information about potential repairs on either their phones or computers before deciding if they want the work done.
“When a technician finds something wrong with a car, they take pictures and videos,” he said. “We text or email that to the customers. They can see exactly what is wrong with their car. They can choose on their phone or computer if they want to do the repair or not. They know exactly how much it will cost. There are no hidden fees. There is no fine print. We are not a bait-and-switch company.
“We feel like auto repair has a bad name for a good reason. Hopefully, we are here to change that.”
Gallahue said he had worked in the auto repair industry for 20 years before he and his wife started Fairway Automotive in April 2015 in Crestwood.
“I worked at a dealership prior, and I felt like the customers were just not being taken care of,” he said. “I felt like we could do it better.
“I always worked up front at the counter. I have never been a mechanic. I was always the customer ambassador. If the technician told me Miss Jones needed brakes, and if I was going to tell her she needed brakes, you were going to have to tell me why. Then I would go to her. I have always been on the customer side.”
Fairway Automotive offers nearly every vehicle maintenance or repair needed, as well as state inspections.
Gallahue said the shop also provides shuttle rides or loans vehicles to customers.
“The loaner vehicles go a long way with customers,” he said. “It is hard to be without your car.”
Gallahue said Fairway Automotive has a total of 31 employees working at his four locations, including his daughter, Hayley, 23, and son, Bryce, 15.
He said the company may need to add employees.
“I feel like the Arnold shop is going to take off fairly quickly,” he said. “We are always looking for top-tier technicians.”
Fairway Automotive will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, go to the company’s website at fairwayautomotive.com.
