This LGBTQ-Owned Auto Repair Shop Will Put Your Last Crappy Oil Change to Shame

Be excellent to each other.

It’s not just a classic line from the movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. It’s CC Haug’s outlook on life, and the motto she strives for with her five-year-old auto mechanic shop.

This shop doesn’t resemble the sterile plastic chairs and watery coffee environment you’re used to seeing. Picture a waiting room with a 1950s vibe, soft lighting, inviting colors, a loveseat, snack baskets, customer art on the walls, and even feminine products in the restroom.

Owner CC Haug grew up working on cars. She was a shop hand at age 12, worked as a mechanic and drove racecars at 14, and eventually earned a degree in mechanical engineering. She spent 15 years at a manufacturing shop, but when she made the life decision to come out as a transgender woman, she knew the industry wouldn’t embrace her.

“The automotive industry is not known for being super supportive of trans folks,” Haug says. “I knew I would get managed out the door. My wife’s response was, ‘Well, let’s make a place that is supportive.’” 

Their idea was born. The name “Good Judy” is an homage to LGBTQ history. At a time when it wasn’t safe to be out, a “good Judy” was code speak for someone who was a trusted member of the community. It’s a reference to Judy Garland, a well-known supporter of the LGBTQ community.

The goal: Be a safe space for customers, no matter their age, race, or sexual orientation. Treat every person who walks in the door with the level of respect they deserve.

When the business first got off the ground at the end of 2021, Haug said her wife was going to help run the office in addition to the remote job she had, while Haug was the head mechanic. By January, they couldn’t keep up.

“I have female and queer mechanics,” Haug said. “Being open about that fact provides a level of comfort that no advertisement can provide.”

Good Judy Garage makes a point to meet customers where they are. Hours are staggered to accommodate customers with all kinds of work schedules. The business is open Mondays and Tuesdays from noon to 8 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. — all by appointment only and typically booked about two weeks out.

Haug is grateful that business is good and steady, but notes they are constrained by the size of the facility. While Haug is considering additional locations, she says it’s hard to expand and ensure her quality of standards are met.

While future plans are uncertain, what’s true is that Haug has created a business that resonates. It’s not uncommon for customers to share handmade thank you cards with treat baskets for the technician who made them feel comfortable when they were afraid of the outcome.

“Customers break down in tears because we saved them money or mitigated a problem,” Haug says. “We have a hand-carved sign in our waiting room with our logo that one of our first customers gave us. That kind of loyalty from customers is proof.”

Haug and the team’s approach is to sit down next to the customer, never standing over them, and have a genuine conversation. Haug’s rule: Treat them like your friend. “Don’t do things that will scare someone who is already terrified,” she says. “Customers tell us, ‘After you talked to me about that issue with my car, it made something complicated seem understandable.’ Some of them are now getting into the industry themselves.”

Haug is aware that the auto mechanic industry has a negative reputation. And while she is quick to point out that there are plenty of reputable shops in Denver, she is surprised that her business model is an anomaly.

“I wish the industry would take note,” she says. “I am sad we are a niche business model. What we are doing shouldn’t be that different.”

Haug feels a moral obligation to ensure the technical quality of service is on par with what customers can get everywhere else, although “we always strive to exceed that.” For example, during training, employees are reminded of the Good Judy Garage ethos, and Haug reiterates that they will be held to a higher responsibility than other businesses in the industry. Their obligation is to make clients feel informed, give them choices, and do what’s in their best interest. The customers’ primary concern is their concern, not upselling. “Although if we see signs that the engine is going to blow up, we need to say something,” she says.

Haug remains grateful for the business she’s built and the existing clientele who continue to show up.

“I could sit here all day and tell you about emails people send or things they share in the waiting room,” Haug says. “Being good to the customer gets you the best kind of customer. Some are almost like family; you see their name pop up, and it’s like, ‘Oh, so and so is coming in today.’ Customers want to hug us. If you are good to people, they will be good to you too.”

For more information, visit Good Judy Garage’s website. Good Judy Garage is located at 1865 West Union Avenue, Unit M, in Sheridan.