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GRAND OPENING PARTY!

Who: Me, You, and Everyone We Know

What: Luscious Garage **GRAND OPENING PARTY**

When: Saturday, September 15th, 6-10pm

Where: Where else?  459 Clementina, San Francisco

Drinks, snacks, and happiness provided.

Back in the spring, before we had a space (or knew we would ever find one), I came across a commercial unit on Howard St—ground floor, cross street Seventh (I believe) right next to a gas station.  It was a little big (6000 sf) and correspondingly expensive, but it was recently remodeled and clean, and it had neat skylights along the back wall.  I thought, of all the property thus far, this is the best.  This is doable. 

I did a lot of driving during that period (I’m sorry to admit), putting five thousand miles on a brand new Prius in the span of a few months.  Half of those miles were spent cruising the streets of SOMA, trying to go as slowly as possible without eliciting honks (I find that it’s easy to pass as well-meaning but distracted in a Prius) while simultaneously manifesting “For Rent” signs.  I called on so many signs—repeatedly, I’m sure, as I would forget who I’d already contacted—that I think I spoke to every commercial agent in the city. “Oh yeah, you’re the one with the hybrid shop,” was a common response.

Anyway, I watched the space on Howard lay vacant for a week or two, and then BAM!—it was full of furniture with a huge, flourescent banner out front, announcing “GRAND OPENING!” 

I thought, “now that’s a quick turnaround.” 

Luscious Garage has not emerged so quickly.  We signed the lease on May 10th, after much nail-biting over our landlords (strangers at the time) and then the city planning department. Destruction preceded construction, followed by equipment decisions, coordination, and purchases.  Contractors, inspectors, accounts, meetings, paperwork, sleepless nights.  Let’s just say that auto service is not furniture.

The greatest news is that we have completed the start-up process.  We secured our permits in early August and have been tidying up the details—on the website and on Clementina—over the last couple weeks.  While there remains a great deal to do, we are ready for our customers and the public beyond. 

All of this leads me, with great pleasure, to host our own grand opening party.  There may not be a banner, but the emotional state is flourescent for sure.  The Evite is out but everyone is welcome.  You too reader!  Luscious Garage lives, and it’s time to celebrate!

Posted by Carolyn Comments 18 Permalink Categories: Milestones »

Hybrid class fills, educates

My thanks to Jack Rosebro and Dominic Felix for their purposeful training yesterday evening. I consider them friends, collegues, and, above all, professionals.  Perfect Sky offers premier hybrid training with the most informed instructors in the business.  We look forward to hosting another class the next time they come to town.

Posted by Carolyn Comments 0 Permalink Categories: Community »

Heather Gold Show 9.21.07

Heather Gold is blessed by adjectives: intelligent, progressive, funny.  We’d like to add “luscious” to that list.  After a serendipitious (and now famous) exchange of voicemail, HG has chosen LG to be the new home for her avant-garde talk show, with the first on September 21st, 2007 (to follow on every second Friday of the month). 

For information on tickets and the show, check out HeatherGold.com.

For everything else, visit her aptly-named blog subvert.com.

Posted by Carolyn Comments 0 Permalink Categories: Community »

LG Hiring

Welcome applicants for our primary technician position!  After much ado about startup, we are ready to fix some cars and are looking for the right person to join us.  This could be your bay:



The job is posted on three sites (SFBA Craigslist,
iATN, PriusChat) as follows:

Luscious Garage hiring a Hybrid Specialist

Luscious Garage is a brand new hybrid specialty shop located in downtown San Francisco. Our business is tailored around the hybrid car and its owner. We are high-tech, cutting edge, and environmentally conscious; we maintain a clean, attractive, well-appointed facility for customers as well as staff.

This opening is the first for our two-bay shop. You will join me, the owner and lead technician, in building the business and introducing it to the public. LG is first-of-its-kind with enormous opportunity to experience this burgeoning market and to create your ideal workplace.

The bulk of our work is preventative maintenance, light duty repair, and diagnostics on hybrids and a few of their non-hybrid siblings. We also perform hybrid modifications, both low and high voltage.

For more information on the business and our services, visit our website at lusciousgarage.com.


Business highlights:

* specialization in hybrid cars

* web-based, customer-driven administration

* full disclosure on practices and prices

* clean and green as possible

* exciting downtown location in a beautiful facility

* woman owned and operated


Unique aspects of the position:

* gainful salary commensurate on experience

* health insurance included

* 4/10 work week (closed Sat-Mon)

* two weeks paid vacation

* access to OE equipment and service information


Ideal candidates will possess:

* Passion for hybrid technology

* Tech and internet savvy

* Professional appearance and attitude

* Quest for betterment of personal performance and business performance

* Patience and thoughtfulness

* Emotional stability and maturity

* Ability to communicate with collegues and customers

* Willingness, if not passion, to purchase and maintain the correct tools

* Interest in assuming leadership roles over time

* Tolerance of mundane jobs with promise of greater challenges to come

* Certifications, iATN membership, and formal education a definite plus


This is a excellent opportunity for the thinking technician hungry for hybrid experience and an enlightened work atmosphere. Diverse backgrounds are invited but competency comes first.

Serious applicants submit a resume with cover letter to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

I will review candidates through September; latecomers welcome.

 

Posted by Carolyn Comments 34 Permalink Categories:

Perfect Sky Training, 8.20.07

Luscious Garage is proud to host its first hybrid training class this Monday, August 20th from 6:30 to 10pm.  Jack Rosebro of Perfect Sky will present for collision technicians on the proper procedures for coolant and brake service and accessing inspection modes for Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Ford hybrids. The class also includes hands-on practice of these techniques in our shop. 

Indeed auto body shops have seen the most challenging mechanical repairs on hybrids to date and need the appropriate training to make sure these cars are not harmed further in putting them back together.  Cooking the battery in the paint booth is one often-cited example; in fact, the potential for trouble is everywhere, even in seemingly basic systems like cooling and brakes. Jack Rosebro (pictured with a wrecked Prius) is outstanding in his work and this class promises to be another gem.

Posted by Carolyn Comments 1 Permalink Categories: Community »