---
title: "Unfortunate Timing Turns into a Good Opportunity for New Take 5 Franchisee"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/3454467c-9131-490f-8c8f-9f0e51c9e1dc
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20200715_unfortunate_timing_turns_into_a_good_opportunity_f.html
category: "Automotive"
industry: "Automotive"
published: 2020-07-15T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:32:45.894Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1551836022-deb4988cc6c0?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Unfortunate Timing Turns into a Good Opportunity for New Take 5 Franchisee

**TL;DR:** Preston Willard, a new Take 5 Oil Change franchisee, shared his experience of opening a business during the COVID-19 pandemic and finding support from the Take 5 management team. Take 5 Oil Change is a quick lube franchise under Driven Brands with over 530 service centers in the US and Canada.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2020-07-15. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20200715_unfortunate_timing_turns_into_a_good_opportunity_f.html).*

## Story

“Business had been on track for a new Take 5 center since opening and until the shutdown,” said Willard. “Obviously, we experienced a drop off at first, however, I was thankful to be a part of a franchise like Take 5. The Take 5 management team was quick to provide all the information and support we needed to navigate through this crisis.

“They did a great job of communicating,” Willard continued. “We had weekly group calls, weekly one-on-one calls, and an online franchisee resource center where we could access information about everything from CDC updates to financial assistance programs, shop sanitization and best practices to keep both customers and employees safe. As a business owner, it was very reassuring to have that information readily available so that we could make informed decisions.”

Willard had worked in the automotive industry for several years as an operations manager for a chain of repair shops before he decided to become an owner himself. He saw Take 5 growing nationwide and was attracted by the simple, easily scalable business model.

“Take 5 has a great management team, a solid playbook, and an extreme focus on the customer,” said Willard. “It’s a process that is easy to hire for and easy to train. And the Take 5 stay-in-your-car model gives customers peace of mind regarding safety and sanitation. Now that the state has opened back up, we have seen a steady increase in customers and traffic is above average for a new store at this stage. I am extremely happy with my decision to become a Take 5 franchisee. The experience has been everything I have wanted it to be.”

Established in 1984, Take 5 Oil Change® is a quick lube franchise under Driven Brands featuring a unique drive-thru concept that allows customers to never leave the comfort of their car. The brand offers an on average 10-minute oil change service and ancillary services such as air filter replacement, wiper blade changes, and coolant exchanges. Take 5 has more than 530 company-owned and franchised service centers throughout the United States and Canada.

Driven Brands™, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the parent company of some of North America’s leading automotive service brands including Take 5 Oil Change®, Meineke Car Care Centers®, Automotive Training Institute™, Maaco®, CARSTAR®, ABRA®, Uniban™, Fix Auto USA, 1-800-Radiator & A/C® and PH Vitres d’Autos™. Driven Brands has more than 3,250 centers across the United States and Canada, and combined, all businesses generate more than $3.2 billion in system sales and service approximately 9 million vehicles annually.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Automotive (sector)
- franchise support (topic)
- covid-19 pandemic (topic)
- Driven Brands (company)
- franchisee experience (topic)
- Take 5 Oil Change (company)
- quick-lube franchise (topic)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20200715_unfortunate_timing_turns_into_a_good_opportunity_f.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/3454467c-9131-490f-8c8f-9f0e51c9e1dc).