For as long as he can remember, Greg Alan has loved cars. “TransAm, GTO – that’s what put a twinkle in my eye,” Alan said, thinking back to his youth in the Midwest. When it came to venturing out on his own after years in marketing and development for the restaurant industry, it’s no wonder Alan gravitated toward his first love. By Tamara Rahoumi
Overcoming the Odds
For as long as he can remember, Greg Alan has loved cars. “TransAm, GTO – that’s what put a twinkle in my eye,” Alan said, thinking back to his youth in the Midwest. When it came to venturing out on his own after years in marketing and development for the restaurant industry, it’s no wonder Alan gravitated toward his first love.
Initially introduced to Tint World back in 2012, Alan spent years acquainting himself with the business before joining. “When you sign on, you’re committing your life to something,” Alan said. “I wanted to think it through. But as I met with their Director of Franchise Development Anthony Foley, and CEO Charles Bonfiglio, I realized these guys are solid. They are creating such a great opportunity for people, and I saw the potential here.”
In 2019, Alan finally opened his Tint World location in San Marcos, California. Unfortunately, timing is everything in business, and Alan’s was less than ideal. “We opened right when COVID was starting,” said Alan, recounting San Diego lockdowns. “I got slaughtered. I remember I went to my wife and said, ‘What have I done?’ She just told me, ‘How could you ever have predicted this?’”
Thankfully, Alan’s marketing savvy, paired with the perseverance of his crew, made it possible to overcome the rocky start and emerge stronger. “We went from making $100 a day in the beginning to now being on track to do $2 million a year and open five to 10 more centers up the California coast.”
Alan is also grateful for the support of the corporate team behind Tint World, and the personalized attention he receives as a franchisee. “It blows my mind that anytime you call Charles, he answers the phone. I’ve worked for big development companies – you can hardly get a regional manager to call you back, let alone a CEO. That’s why I stick with him and am so supportive of this company.”
Tamara Rahoumi