Lina and Clint Estes, who opened Quality Lube in 1999, are selling the business.
New restaurant planned for adjacent building
By Lazo Gitchos
The triangular block in downtown Twisp, between Highway 20, South Glover Street and Fifth Avenue, is in flux. The automotive repair shop Quality Lube is for sale, and fast-casual dining is coming to the building south of the shop.
The current Quality Lube building was built in 2003, when owners Lina and Clint Estes moved the business from the adjacent building. They started the business in 1999.
While the larger automotive shop building has been continuously occupied since it was constructed, the smaller building at the tip of the peninsula across South Glover Street from TwispWorks has been in transition for several years, and was briefly used as an artist’s exhibition space.
Former Twisp Terrace Lodge owners Beth and Eric Blank purchased the original building in April of this year, and have begun renovations to transform the space into a fast-casual teriyaki restaurant, slated to open in February 2024.
The Esteses are selling the business to spend more time with their young grandchildren. Lina says they’re hoping to find a younger family looking to put down roots in the valley, although they recognize that the housing market in Twisp and throughout the Methow makes relocation difficult.
Housing constraints have already made it difficult for Quality Lube to hire more mechanics. Clint said that the business would employ two to three additional technicians to keep up with volume, but that he has not been able to hire workers due to the cost and availability of housing. Because of the small staff, “we turn away as much work as we schedule,” he said.
After nearly 25 years in the automotive repair business, Lina and Clint have noticed some changes. Cars are on the road for many more miles and are more complicated to service, but information is more readily available. Thanks to the internet, service information is available for nearly every car that they may encounter. That makes it easier to determine whether the problem can be fixed locally, saving wait time or a trip to a dealership.
Clint served on the Twisp city council from 2006 until 2014 and as acting mayor during much of his two terms. When he stepped down in 2014, he told the Methow Valley News that he felt he was leaving the town in a stable position. Years later, he and his wife hope to leave their business in the same way, if they are able to find a capable buyer.