Fresh Cotes is tucked away in a neighborhood that is, metaphysically speaking, far from the Downtown Core and its gleaming towers and interchangeable politicians. Instead the streets are packed with small businesses of all stripes--nail salons and corner markets and places like "'Dave's' Burgers & Teriyaki." And, of course, the friendly neighborhood garage: Fresh Cotes.
Daryl Cotes has done pretty well for himself, and it shows--the squat, one-level building has had some additions over the years and has expanded to hold eight vehicle bays, each with a hydraulic lift. The office is now its own little shack near the street, where once it was just a desk crammed five feet from where someone might be rotating tires or airbrushing a van.
The first thing someone sees when turning in off the street is a four-yard-wide sign sticking up near the office: an airbrushed rendition of the Last Supper, the Black Jesus looking suspiciously like Tupac. It was as much an ad as it was a political statement; sitting next to the customer parking, it was a reminder of the garage's specialty as well as a show of talent. Dizzy doesn't have to spare it a glance however; he's like family, and that gets him access to the lot in the rear.
Draft this Post
