Mendoza Autoworks brings new life to a corner garage

For years, the old garage at the corner of East Main and South Curran streets has made passersby wonder about the stories its walls could tell. Now new owners Luis and Maria Mendoza are writing its next chapter.
The couple closed on the building May 8, 2026, and opened Mendoza Autoworks June 2. The shop specializes in auto glass replacement and chip repair. It also handles insurance work, does undercoating and rustproofing, and is branching into vehicle wraps.
For Luis, 33, the shop is a long-held goal coming true.
“I always wanted something of my own,” Luis said. “I don’t want to work for somebody my whole life, so that was kind of my main goal, just to have something of my own.”
Finding the right location took time. Luis said the couple had looked at other properties, and he was ready to give up when Maria, 26, saw that the building was for sale.

“We were actually looking at other places, and when I was kind of just giving up, she noticed that this place was up for sale,” Luis said.
The property sale also included the house next door.
“It already had tenants in it, so it worked out really well,” Maria said.
The rental fit nicely with a goal the couple had held for years.
“It all just kind of worked out,” Luis said. “We always wanted something to own, to rent out. Everything worked out perfectly, honestly.”
The Mendozas did little to the building beyond cleaning it up. Its character is a big part of what drew them in, and previous owners had created an inviting office interior.
“I love this building,” Maria said. “It’s just so nice.”
Vintage photos of the garage now hang in the office. One customer went to the historical society and looked up the business’s history for the couple. One photo was hanging in the shop when they bought it, and Maria said they asked for it to stay with the building.
Despite the name, Mendoza Autoworks is not a mechanical repair shop. Luis does not offer engine repair work. Luis still works full time at Koebe Body Shop, so he also avoids body work to keep from competing with his employer. Instead, he handles the body shop’s glass work as a subcontractor and fits those jobs in during his breaks and lunch hour.
“I do all of their glass,” Luis said. “Everything that is glass, that’s what I do for them as a sublet.”
Luis’ wrap work includes advertising wraps for commercial vans. He said the paint doesn’t need to be perfect. Rough spots may show a little texture through the vinyl, but they won’t stop a vehicle from being wrapped.
Customers can bring their own vinyl and design and pay an hourly rate for installation. Or they can come in with a concept and a logo, and Luis will work with Maria’s father, Brian Grund, who creates the graphics. After the customer approves the layout, it goes to a vinyl company that produces the wrap, and Luis handles the installation.
He said a wrap usually takes about two weeks, depending on his schedule.
Between full-time jobs, a new business, and two young daughters at home, the couple’s days are full.
“Managing my time, balancing life. It’s a lot,” Luis said when asked about the biggest challenges of owning his own business.
“I mean, I’m really busy,” he said. “It’s been amazing, but it’s kind of overwhelming — in a good way, I guess. And I’m new to this.”
“Just trying to balance everything: life, family, work, and this,” Maria said.
Business has been strong so far. Maria said Luis has been booked for months at a time, and the couple hopes to grow.
“I hope to someday open full time,” Luis said.
“I kind of want to see what winter is going to be like, because I don’t know how glass replacements work during winter,” he said, referring to the uncertainty of whether the business will continue to be as busy during the cold months.
Maria said the community has been very supportive. The business has joined the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce and held a ribbon-cutting. The couple is also working with Graphic House of Wausau on a new sign for the front of the building.
Mendoza Autoworks offers free estimates. Because calls often come in while Luis is working at his other job, he said texting is the best way to reach him.
Texting gives him a record of the conversation to refer to, Luis said.
“I like doing everything by text message, because then I can know for sure what is going on,” he said. “[But] obviously, calling works just fine, too.”
Luis said customers should be ready to give their vehicle identification number and other details about their vehicle when they reach out.
Walk-in hours are currently Tuesday through Thursday, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Friday, and Saturday are by appointment. To schedule an appointment or an estimate, text or call 715.218.9579 or send a message through the Mendoza Autoworks Facebook page.