Alexandria, VA – “What we’re trying to do is so much more than the bottom line. It’s about responsible growth, great service, creating jobs, and creating an environment that’s healthy for our community and healthy for our people. We want to add value to our neighborhood.”
– Jason Yates Sr.
People often look at run-down corners at intersections and overgrown lots and daydream about what big things could be done to transform those diamonds in the rough into successful businesses and neighborhood icons. As reality emerges, the prospect of converting a great idea from a dream into concrete, glass, and wood can often dissolve into a mirage.
With exceptional tenacity over the past decades, Jason Yates has sidestepped those mirages through long and daunting stages of research, property acquisition, and mastering financial red tape to cross the finish line more than a few times with his Alexandria dream-chasing.
The owners of Yates Corner and several other Alexandria-based businesses can celebrate cumulative victories, adding up to 60 years of achievements. Those accomplishments have been honored through national and local awards such as Alexandria Living Legends, Best of the Best Awards’ National Honor, Best Family Business for 55+ and Counting Award, Washington Business Journal’s Family-Owned Business Award, The Zebra’s Reader’s Choice Awards, Angie’s List Super Service Award, as well as being selected as a Better Business Bureau’s A+ Accredited Business, and numerous citations and awards from Alexandria’s Beautification Committee.
Honesty, Integrity, and Loyalty
It turns out that Yates is more of a strategist than a dreamer. The two-story, red-brick, triangle-shaped facade at 515 Mt. Vernon Avenue, overlooking the intersection of Braddock and Mt. Vernon Avenue, called Yates Corner, reflects this entrepreneur’s plausible ideas, community involvement, and hard work over the years. With the help of his dream-sharing wife, Loren, and son, Jason Jr., Yates said that the Yates Corner and Kingstowne businesses continue to pursue the motto inherited from his father, John, “Guided by honesty, integrity, and loyalty.”
Working steadily to build his father’s service station and repair shop, which opened in 1964, into the handsome anchor business of Yates Automotive, Jason Yates has pursued his dreams one project at a time. He credits his extended family, including his brother Jim Yates, nephew Jon Yates, niece Melissa, and her husband Joey Civali, who is general manager, among other family members, for sharing his vision.
At Yates Corner alone, five significant operations reflecting Yates’ signature style are thriving: Yates Automotive, Yates Dry Cleaning, a 7-Eleven Store, Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza and Tap, and a series of theme restaurants at the Loft at Lena’s—currently a Cuban-inspired beauty called Havana 151—would convince anyone that dreams take a lot of elbow grease, metaphorically speaking. From 1964 to 2024, he said the 60 years of service to the Alexandria community represent a legacy of dedication, prosperity, and pride of accomplishment. The City of Alexandria honored Jason Yates Sr., and Loren Yates in 2019 as Living Legends of Alexandria for “significantly impacting the quality of life in Alexandria.”
From his boyhood days of working at his father’s service station, which was located precisely where Yates Automotive is today, Jason said he grew to love learning how engines work and businesses run. His youthful days away from the gas station, while attending high school and college, were spent peering into car engines and watching wheels race on weekends. His four brothers also worked there, but for Jason, the car bug never faded. He set his mind on keeping the family business prospering—with a mental picture of what could be at the busy intersection. Yates took on the redevelopment of a Brownfield land site (an urban site requiring remediation) containing a long-abandoned service station (over 35 years) and a typewriter repair store that is now Yates Corner.
Investing in community, people, and redevelopment
“We consider ourselves a thread in the fabric of our community,” Yates said. His mother, Lena, also played an integral part in the family business, handling the books and making delicious food. “She was a matriarch and raised five boys with my father, but my mom also worked very hard, running the household,” says Yates.
With a nod to the name of the popular Lena’s Wood-fired Pizza & Tap Restaurant at Yates Corner, Yates points proudly to her portrait hung in a prominent place for her impact on his life. By “investing in the community, employing people, and redevelopment” of the run-down strip mall that once operated where Lena’s now stands, Yates said he wants to continue giving back to the city, noting his business support of many local charities and non-profits.
“We started a little service station with two bays, and we’ve grown into a substantial family-owned business with a ton of respect in our community,” said Jason with the satisfaction earned from more than 50 years of constant personal dedication. Before turning 30, he had saved enough to buy the family business and marry his sweetheart Loren, who also grew up in the Alexandria area.
Their son, Jason Jr., duplicated much of his father’s family experience—learning with hands-on exposure to cars and the family business operations—but before joining the family business earned a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia with a minor in aerospace engineering. Yates Jr. was named one of the 2022 Chamber ALX 40 under 40 Honorees for Outstanding Young Professionals.
“When I took over, there were only three team members,” said Jason Sr., recalling his first years of ownership. “And now we’re up to a team of 200-plus members—and that has come from a lot of community support and makes us want to give back.” In addition to giving back to the community, Yates Corner businesses are listed as the first job on many resumes of neighborhood residents—and the only job for several who have stayed with the companies, gradually making their way to positions of responsibility.
Yates Corner
Jason Sr. noted that Yates Corner is a state-of-the-art facility designed and constructed using LEED technologies, with geothermal heating and cooling. Forty-eight geo wells pump water from 350 feet underground 24 hours a day. The entire facility is air-conditioned, including the upper and lower repair bays, detail shop, and dry cleaners.
Drilling down into the efficiency of Yates Corner, Jason Sr. added that the waste oil removed from vehicles during oil changes is burned in a waste oil heater to warm all the automotive shops on both levels. In addition, there is a rain catchment system, including a large cistern used to store water that is put to use in the sprinkler system. Indoors, an air management system recycles fresh air throughout the building.
Watching from a high perch with Jason Sr. and Loren, a visitor can sense the pride the owners take in the tidy facility below—a complete automotive detail shop with many different detailing services, including a certification in applying ceramic paint coating, a liquid polymer that is used on vehicles exterior paint, forming an additional layer of protection against the elements and observed on a couple of vehicles in the indoor parking area. Over at the dry cleaners, all garments are processed on-site by long-time team members who also provide expert tailoring. The dry-cleaning machines are the newest technology and cutting edge. Even the solvents used are non-toxic, organic, bio-degradable, and revolutionary in the industry, he whispered so as not to distract customers. He added that the vision for the Yates team’s future is with Jason Jr., Joey Civali, and the dedicated team of professionals looking at opportunities beckoning in Alexandria.
“We are not a single-service provider and have proven we can deliver a wide range of businesses,” he continued. “That said, we’re all excited for future growth in Alexandria—and we are always open for more ideas and opportunities.”
“To build a building is incredible, but to bring new businesses to the community and execute every day at the highest levels is what we are most proud of,” said Jason Sr., who greets Yates Corner team members by name as he moves from business to business, occasionally asking for an update on something. “All of our team members are the heart of our business and bring value to the community.” The pace and all the exchanges witnessed felt relaxed yet attentive to details, one of the boss Jason Sr.’s calling cards.
Yates Boot Camp
Jason Sr. said he has partnered with staff members of Alexandria City High School (formerly T.C. Williams) in recruiting students who could benefit and learn from entry-level jobs. He jokes that some younger employees called it “Yates Boot Camp.”
With a quick shift to a serious tone, he shared that a neighborhood father approached him asking him for help with a son who later returned and told Jason Sr., “Yates Boot Camp was one of the best places he has worked!” With a genial laugh, Jason Sr. noted that he enjoyed giving students a chance to see what he experienced as a teenager. “That memory is very special to me. I want to help my neighbors around here and there have been lots of jobs we have added with growing the businesses.”
The Yates family’s work ethic drew praise from The Washington Business Journal with the presentation of the 2017 Family-Owned Business Award to the Yates family. Loren Yates explained how pleased the family was with the recognitions, noting that “Every difficult challenge that you overcome, you get a little smarter and you get a little better,” revealing the amount of effort and hard work it took to add business after business, each of which was preceded with extended research and discussions with the community. As with Jason Jr., her involvement extends to every facet of operations.
Jason Sr. said the family plans to continue to improve Alexandria’s neighborhoods, creating a better place to live and work. Just a single visit to Yates Corner confirms he and his family are succeeding—by a mile!
The Yates Family’s Yates redevelopment projects in Alexandria include at 500 N. Fayette Street, which was a complete property redevelopment, preserving the building and original Art-Deco architecture. In the Kingstowne area of Alexandria are the Yates Kingstowne Car Wash and Convenience Store at 6700 S. Van Dorn St., Yates Kingstowne Sunoco and Convenience Market at 5800 Kingstowne Center Dr., and Yates Express Lube and Repair Kingstowne at the same address.
The Zebra Legacy Questions, with responses by Jason Yates Jr.
Please comment on Alexandria as a business location.
Alexandria is an incredible place where I was born and raised. Regarding the specific location of Yates Corner, we are conveniently located just one block from the Braddock Road Metro. Many of our customers take advantage of dropping off their cars for service or dry cleaning on their way to work. In addition, many stop by Lena’s to grab dinner or Yates Corner 7-Eleven to grab needed essentials on their way home.
How has Alexandria helped you to succeed? What years have you made expansions (bricks and mortar/staff)?
I’ve spent my entire life growing up around Yates Automotive, which has become an Alexandria institution. It was around 2013 that we began construction on Yates Corner, which was finished a year later. Then, the growth kicked into overdrive. We opened Yates Corner 7-Eleven in December 2013, Yates Automotive (new repair/detail shops), and Yates Dry Cleaning in spring 2014; Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap followed in October 2015. We then purchased and completely renovated Yates Collision, located on N. Fayette Street in fall 2018. Lastly, we built out and opened The Loft at Lena’s, a 5,000 sq ft space on the second floor of Yates Corner in the fall of 2020.
In a nutshell, what is the secret to success across your various businesses?
Although we have a very diverse (and completely unrelated!) group of businesses, the basic principles we live by have contributed to their success: Quality, Honesty, and 5-star Customer Service with a Can-Do Attitude. We are all about going the extra mile and exceeding our customers’ expectations to create a memorable and positive experience.
Tell us about the leadership that has made this business a legacy and who have been the key players throughout the years.
There isn’t just one thing that has contributed to becoming a ‘legacy’ business; it is more of a combination of various aspects from our incredible team members. From decorating for holidays and landscaping to staying late to care for a customer in a pinch. Leading by example has truly been the most influential and impactful leadership quality I see in our business, and that comes directly from my parents, Jason and Loren Yates. Since I was a little boy, and still to this day, they never cease to amaze me with all that they do, day in and day out. They never hesitate to roll up their sleeves and get it done, no matter what, working side by side with all of our team members, and are happy to do it.
Can you share both a high point and a low point of your business history?
A definite high point that comes to mind is when we opened The Loft at Lena’s, the themed dining space on the second floor of Yates Corner. I have overseen and coordinated all five themes, including the concepts and design details of the space, purchasing everything, and completing the four-day conversion. It is entirely different than anything I have done before. Although it is an insane amount of work, it is extremely rewarding to see it all come together and watch as guests come in and are wowed by it.
A low point would have to be COVID. It was a very difficult time for society and small businesses, and we were all navigating the complete unknown. It was as if we were working twice as hard just to stay afloat. That said, COVID is also why we opened The Loft at Lena’s, so it shows you that even low points allow you to learn, adapt, and grow stronger.
While you can’t predict the future, what do you see coming next in your business’s future?
I can’t say anything definitive yet, but plans are underway for a few new and exciting projects right here in the neighborhood that we feel will further contribute to our community’s quality of life and offerings! Stay tuned!
