The $50 Used Tire That Looked Almost New
Sometimes the best stories come from the places you have driven past a thousand times.
There has been a tire place on Denton Highway for as long as I can remember. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was there when my dad lived here—which, according to Charlie, was approximately 150 years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the face of the earth.
Yes, Charlie. I said it.
We had gone there looking for tires and rims for Charlie’s GMC. But things had changed. The business had apparently changed hands, and instead of the experience we remembered, we were being quoted prices that made our jaws drop. One tire was going to cost around $140.
And it wasn’t just the price.
Charlie was trying to ask questions, and it felt like they were more interested in talking about financing than listening to what he actually needed. Because he was a teenager, it also felt like he wasn’t being taken as seriously as he should have been.
So we left.
We headed down Broadway toward another tire shop across from Lisa’s Chicken. As it turned out, we had found Texas Tires #2 at 5034 Broadway Avenue in Haltom City. The company’s own website confirms that this Broadway location is Texas Tires #2 and that another location is at 3140 Denton Highway.
And this is where the story got much better.
The gentleman who came out to help us was one of those people you don’t forget.
He had a cigarette in his mouth when we first saw him, and I’m not going to lie—it immediately made me think of Buford T. Justice from the old Smokey and the Bandit days. He had that whole old-school, working-man look about him.
But before he came over to talk to us, he took care of the cigarette and threw it away.
That meant something to me because I can’t be around cigarette smoke.
Then he listened.
No sales pitch.
No pushing us toward financing.
No trying to convince us that we needed something more expensive.
He listened to what Charlie needed, went into the back, and found him a tire.
And the price?
About $50.
We had paid around $40 for a used tire at the other place in the past, but as David pointed out, there was no reason to drive all over town trying to save another $10. We could easily spend that much in gas driving from one tire shop to another.
So we bought the tire.
They put it on quickly, and everyone was kind and helpful. I could have stayed sitting in the truck, but instead I got out and sat underneath the canvas area while I looked at some of the wheels and rims they had displayed out front.
I even noticed that they had financing information posted there, too.
But nobody pushed it on us.
Nobody tried to turn our $50 tire into a financing conversation.
They simply listened to what we needed and took care of it.
That is what good customer service looks like to me.
And then came the part of the story that still makes us laugh.
We left the tire shop and headed over to David’s mom’s house. It was less than ten minutes away—honestly, probably closer to five.
And somehow, somewhere between the tire shop and his mom’s house…
David ran over a nail.
Yes.
The brand-new used tire we had just bought for $50 picked up a nail almost immediately.
You can’t make this stuff up.
We parked the truck and went inside to have lunch with Charlie at Bluebonnet Cafe. That was our family day, the day we had set aside to have breakfast or lunch with Charlie because when he was working, we didn’t get many opportunities to spend that time together.
After lunch, Charlie dropped us back off at the truck.
We got in, started driving and headed right back to the tire shop.
When we told them what had happened, they thought it was absolutely hilarious.
They were laughing and slapping their knees like the old men in those classic television shows.
Poor David.
Here he had just bought a tire, driven five minutes down the road and managed to find the one nail in town.
But instead of getting upset or charging us for another service, they patched the tire for free.
And then they told us something I won’t forget.
They asked us to pass it forward and tell other people about them.
Now, that is the kind of small-business story I want to share.
Texas Tires says customer service is its primary goal, and the company’s website lists the Broadway location at 5034 Broadway Ave., Haltom City, TX 76117, with phone number 817-834-8100. Its listed hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Texas Tires #2 – Broadway Ave
And while every business can have different experiences and no business is perfect, our experience that day was exactly what we hope to find when we support a local business.
They listened.
They treated Charlie like a customer.
They found what we needed.
They didn’t pressure us into something we didn’t ask for.
They got us back on the road.
And when our $50 tire immediately found a nail, they laughed with us, fixed it and sent us on our way without charging us for the patch.
That’s worth telling people about.
Because small businesses need customers, but they also need people willing to tell others when they have had a good experience.
So this is me doing exactly what that gentleman asked.
I’m passing it forward.
If you’re in Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills or the surrounding area and you’re looking for tires, wheels or tire service, put Texas Tires #2 on your list and give them a call before you drive over. Their official website lists tires, wheels, auto repair and other services.
And if you happen to see a gentleman who reminds you a little bit of Buford T. Justice…
Tell him Glenda sent you.
And maybe don’t tell David about the nail.
He hasn’t lived that one down yet.
Have you ever found a small business that went above and beyond for you? Tell me about it in the comments. I would love to hear your story—and maybe we can help another local business get noticed, too.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Greatful Moments