A trustworthy local mechanic is such a necessity in this car-centric city. Our neighborhood is privileged to have one at SMG Auto Repair, 4700 Beverly Blvd. at St. Andrews Place. This shop carries on a tradition of service that dates back at least to the 1950s.
POTENSIANO OWNER and colleague under a car.
If you haven’t had a chance to frequent this neighborhood establishment, check it out the next time you need your car serviced or an oil change. The store is knowledgeable, reasonable, reliable and very friendly – not to mention close.
PROMINENT IN THE neighborhood since the 1950s, the auto repair shop still stands on the corner of Beverly Boulevard and St. Andrews Place. It is now a Chevron station.
The latest owner, Irvin Potensiano, is thrilled to own the shop and become a more permanent part of this unique area. He bought the service part of the gas station (now Chevron) in August 2019 from his then-boss, Arman Mkrtchyan, who still owns the gas station. Potensiano, a mechanic at several stations before coming to this Beverly Boulevard shop, had worked there for about five years before he and his boss started talking about the possibility of Potensiano owning the shop. He said, “I’ve always wanted to own my own shop. When this opportunity presented itself, I took it. It was a huge blessing.
Helping and getting to know people and their cars is what makes Potensiano happy. He helps several members of some families and says he probably knows a family or two on every block between his store and Larchmont Boulevard. As the theme song for “Cheers” says, “Sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name.”
A bonus at this auto shop is the snack. It offers a surprisingly eclectic and upscale selection of sweets and snacks.
Where do you go the next time your car needs gas or maintenance?
[Full disclosure: The writer is a longtime customer of S.M.G Auto Repair.]
Category: Immovable
