May 29, 2020

Meineke Car Care Center is reopening its 41st Street location next week after being closed for nine months following last year’s tornadoes.

The center was damaged enough that it had to be torn down.

Owner Doug Olson said he’s happy to be done dealing with architects and navigating city code.

That process has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many vendors have been delayed in getting their building materials to the center. 

When the center reopens Tuesday, Olson said there will be many safety precautions in place to protect his employees and customers from coronavirus spread. When customers come into the lobby, they will be greeted by plexiglass on the counters and will be asked to drop their keys into plastic bags. 

Glove-wearing employees will make repairs while wiping down all surfaces and physically distancing from each other. Olson said he will provide masks for his employees but won’t require them to wear one.

Olson said he doesn’t know exactly what to expect from reopening Meineke during a pandemic after being closed for nine months but is cautiously optimistic that the center soon will be busy again.

“We got our crew here that we had before, so I’ve kept them intact,” Olson said. “And we’ve done some changes, and it’s approved, and now we’re just excited. Everything’s brand new … (but) with the being closed for nine months and then with the coronavirus pandemic going on, you know, I have no idea (if) we’ll be busy or slow. I just don’t know. It’s kind of scary.”

The attached Advance Auto Parts is nearly done with construction but not open yet.

Throughout the long rebuilding process, Olson said he has been supported and encouraged by the Sioux Falls community. In the aftermath of the storm, he said people off the street and from neighboring businesses came over to help clean up and provide food and water.

He also has experienced positive feedback on Facebook from customers who are looking forward to bringing their business to Meineke once again.

“We’ve had a lot of real positive things on there where people are waiting for us,” he said. “They want to be our first customers. So it’s been really good.”