Sta ff p hoto by Ang ie

Business I

Ben Kalish and his father, Jay, show off the installation area.

A young man finds

a niche market for

his love of

automobiles.

22

July 12 n 2007

Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor

He estimates that during its one year in business, the store has
served several thousand customers and done hundreds of installa-
tions. Some 50 60 percent of the car enthusiasts ask the store to do the
en Kalish inherited his infatuation with cars from his father,
installation work, with the rest doing the work themselves. "Many of
Jay. Now the two have opened a business that Ben has
the people know how to do this but just don't have the time Ben says.
dreamed about since he was a little kid.
Jay Kalish comes in at the end of each day and is involved in all
The 23-year-old is general manager and the on-site partner for
aspects of the business. A business re-organization and bankruptcy
Street Legal Customs in Royal Oak. Jay, an attorney, gives fatherly
attorney, "he's offered really good advice — a lot on what not to do:'
advice from his 30 years of legal experience.
says Ben, "and I've really learned a lot in the course of a year." But, Ben
The business sells and installs after-market items, mostly to new-
admits, there's still a learning curve in knowing what customers want
car owners who want to make their vehicles stand out from the crowd. and which suppliers to buy it from.
The 4,600-square-foot showroom and installation center on
His mother, Mimi, also an attorney, is no car enthusiast. "But she
Woodward Avenue, two blocks north of II Mile, is hardly your stereo- pulls everyone back to center — it's an important role!'
typical back-alley greasepit. The showroom is highly visual, with neat,
And Ben's sisters also get involved: Jenny brings the employees
uncrowded displays mingling with two small
Slurpie drinks and Sam calls from California with
race cars and Jay's spilled-up Harley-Davidson alit a very visual business fake requests for parts.
motorcycle.
Ben is excited about the store's location. He insist-
A glass window wall divides the showroom that looks really cool."
ed that it had to be on Woodward Avenue because
from the colorful-and-clean installation area,
of the street's history and its central location. When
where up to four cars can be worked on. Street Legal Customs has four the family saw the building sand walked through it, Ben knew it would
employees, plus Ben.
work. The store has upstairs storage space and a five-year lease.
"It's a very visual business that looks really cool:' Ben says. "People
Ben doesn't rule out expansion in the future, but is very happy with
walk in here and they get excited" while looking around.
the single location "and doing it the way we are doing it. We want to
Planning for Street Legal Customs began four years ago. Jay's
remain in control!' He said there is no sense in overextending or tak-
experiences on Woodward while growing up in Huntington Woods
ing on jobs the store is not equipped to handle.
translated to a love of cars for Ben, who has been racing since he was
Last year, when Street Legal Customs opened, it had already missed
a child. He also spent his teen years tinkering with a Ford Mustang
the Royal Oak permit deadline for sponsoring an outdoor Dream
"and there was no place around that offered both the parts and the
Cruise event. But the supplier of a power drink sold at the store agreed
installation."
to set up an indoor display and hand out its product inside the store.
When Ben was in a freshman business class at Western Michigan
Says Ben, "We ran out of 6,000 drinks at 4 p.m." on the Saturday of the
University, he found himself doodling on a notepad, figuring out what
Dream Cruise.
parts he would carry in his own store. "It's just what I, my friends and
Next month, on Aug. 18, the drink company will be back with a lot
my dad knew from being enthusiasts:' says
more product and Street Legal Customs has the
Ben. "A lot of what we carry now is the same
necessary permit to display some of its handi-
Name: Ben Kalish
as what we started with" in June 2006.
work.
Age: 23
The store sells wheels, exhaust systems,
The Cruise, which attracts auto enthusiasts and
Home: Farmington Hills
suspensions, brakes, remodels interiors and
vintage cars from around the world, is like "a big
Business: Street Legal Customs
enhances performance or fuel economy. Ben's
present with a bow on it" for Ben. "We'll have 2
Address: 2 7754 Woodward, Royal Oak
customers have spent as little as $20 for light
million potential customers" out on Woodward
Phone: (248) 545-3700
bulbs to $8,000 for a set of wheels and a grille.
Avenue.

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