John and Heather Hawthorne, third-generation owners of Hawthorne Tire & Auto Service in San Marcos, Calif., needed a boost for their business. They got one in the form of designer Peter Ishkhans from the TV show "Peter Perfect." And you can watch the dealership's makeover unfold on television this Saturday night, Feb. 7, at 9 p.m. on the Style Network. (The Hawthorne Tire makeover also will be featured in an upcoming feature in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.)
This is not the first time the dealershjp has been in the limelight. Thirty-seven years ago, the tire dealership's founder, Rosemary Tucker, was featured in a cover article of Modern Tire Dealer (October 1972). A framed enlargement of that cover is a prominent piece of art used in the dealership's showroom redesign.
Designer Ishkhans felt the company 's family history should be an integral part of the makeover theme for the dealership.
Heather Hawthorne is the reason the dealership is featured on the television program. She felt that the company needed a makeover to attract customers, and filled out an online application form. Hawthorne Tire was one of eight small businesses chosen for a makeover, which is handled like a scaled-down version of the TV program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
The show's crew remodeled the dealership's showroom and other areas -- and did makeovers for John and Heather and John's mother, too.
The company sells Yokohama, Continental and Goodyear brand tires, as well as "any other brand our customers ask for," John tells MTD, and offers automotive services such as brake work, alignment and suspension work.
Although the company has held off its grand re-opening until the TV show airs this Saturday, Heather reports the makeover is already paying dividends. Customers have all been very positive about the changes, which include new showroom flooring, paint, seating and decorations which give the dealership a friendly 1950-ish "diner" style, according to Modern Tire Dealer's Creative Services Director Kelly Bracken, who is interviewed for a segment of the program.
Watch the complete makeover on "Peter Perfect" at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, on the Style Network. And watch for the whole story in an upcoming issue of Modern Tire Dealer magazine.
