Take 5 Oil Change entering market with three stores

The fast-growing Take 5 Oil Change chain, which operates hundreds of shops in Midwestern and Southern states, is entering the Indianapolis market with three area stores.

Cousins Elliot Smith of Noblesville and Andy Morrison of Zionsville will operate the franchised locations. The first to open will be at 1795 N. Morton St. in Franklin, just east of U.S. 31. The store is under construction, with a targeted opening in March, Smith said.

The cousins also plan to build stores at 9799 N. Michigan Road in Carmel and 10986 E. U.S. 36 in Avon, with projected openings in the second quarter.

Smith said he and Morrison are also working to secure other Indianapolis-area sites, with the goal of opening several more stores over the next few years. Their franchise territory includes Marion County and the surrounding “donut” counties, plus Muncie and the rest of Delaware County.

Take 5 offers the promise of quick and convenient oil change. Drivers never exit their cars, and shops sell only oil changes, wiper replacements and air filter replacements.

A synthetic blend oil change starts at $42.99. The price includes oil and oil filter change, tire pressure checks, windshield cleaning and checks/top-offs of washer fluid, coolant and power steering and transmission fluids.

The average oil change takes nine minutes, Smith said. “It’s all about speed and convenience.”

The cousins both have a financial background: Smith worked at the accounting firm Clifton Larson Allen, and Morrison worked in finance at both Eli Lilly and Co. and Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc. Both have left those jobs to focus on their Take 5 venture.

Smith and Morrison learned about Take 5 through a business broker website in late 2018, and they found the company’s quick-service model appealing.

“People want things now,” Smith said. “They don’t want to wait.”

Take 5 opened its first store in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie in 1984. The company had 65 stores when it was acquired in 2016 by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Driven Brands, which itself is owned by the Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group.

Take 5 has grown rapidly since then and began offering franchises in 2018. It now has 500 franchised and company-owned stores, including Indiana locations in Crown Point, Lawrenceburg, Merrillville and Valparaiso.

In other news, we have an opening and several closings to report:

— The restaurant Root & Bone is aiming to open late next week at 4601 N. College Ave, in a redeveloped multi-tenant space that formerly housed Big Al’s Superstore. Root & Bone describes itself as a farm-to-table restaurant focused on Southern cuisine. Menu items include vegetables (the “roots”), meats (the “bones”) and side dishes.

Executive chef is Jeff McInnis and Chef de Cuisine is Janine Booth. Both are former contestants on the Bravo network show “Top Chef.” McInnis, a Florida native, was a contestant on Season Five, which premiered in November 2008. Booth, a native Australian, competed in Season 11, which premiered in October 2013.

The couple opened their first Root & Bone restaurant in New York City in 2013. They also operate Stiltsville Fish Bar in Miami Beach, Fla.

Originally, Booth and McInnis had planned to bring Stiltsville to the College Avenue location. They later decided to bring Root & Bone instead.

— The café and cocktail lounge Gavel, at 902 Virginia Ave. in Fountain Square, is closing after a short run. The establishment, which opened in March, will have its last day of operations on Sunday. Gavel occupies the 900-square-foot lobby of advertising agency MilesHerndon. The agency’s Principal and CEO, Daniel Herndon, told IBJ at the time that, though Gavel was primarily meant to serve the public, it would also give MilesHerndon a space to host special events in a non-office setting.

In a Facebook post Monday, Gavel said it hadn’t been able to build up enough business to become self-sustaining. “We’ve sought partnerships, and even buyers, but have not found the right opportunities to allow us a path to continue,” the Facebook post said.

— The People’s Revel Room at 111 W. Main St. in Lebanon has closed. The brewpub’s last day of operation was Sunday. Lafayette-based People’s Brewing Co. opened the Lebanon location in 2016. People’s Brewing Co. said it decided to close the Revel Room because it wasn’t performing well enough.

“Although People’s Revel Room continued to see growth over the years, it was not at a sustainable rate for our goals moving forward,” People’s Brewing Co. cofounder Chris Johnson said in a statement issued Jan. 2. People’s Brewing Co.’s Lafayette brewery and taproom will remain open, and the company is also working to expand its distribution network.

— Charlotte, North Carolina-based Portrait Innovations has apparently closed all of its portrait studios, including its Greenwood Park Mall location. According to multiple media reports, the company closed all of its studios within the past week or so. The company’s website was not working on Wednesday, its Facebook page was gone and attempts to reach the Greenwood location by phone were unsuccessful. The company previously had 100 studios around the U.S., according to an archived version of its website.

— Three Dog Bakery in Zionsville, 120 S. Main St., has closed. The store announced the news Jan. 1 in a post on its Facebook page. The establishment, which sold baked goods for dogs as well as toys and other pet items, opened in July 2016. Three Dog Bakery’s other local stores, in Broad Ripple, Mass Ave and Noblesville, are owned by a different franchisee and remain open for business.

— The Gymboree Play & Music location at 1101 N. State Road 135 in Greenwood has closed after an eight-year run. The facility was a development learning center offering play, music and art activities for children ages 5 and younger. Gymboree Play & Music’s Carmel facility remains open.