D&R Automotive, a downtown Sarasota institution, is moving to a new location on Monday, Jan. 26, after 58 years in the Rosemary District.

Its new home: the up-and-coming Limelight District, on the corner of Eighth Street and Apricot Avenue, north of Fruitville Road.

Opened in 1968, D&R Automotive has been part of the Richetta family since 1970 when the family patriarch, Russ Richetta, bought the nearly quarter-acre property and mechanic business where he'd worked at for the prior two years. He renamed it D&R after himself and his son, Dan, who has controlled the business since 1990. Dan’s son Cody also works there as a mechanic tech, and his nephew, Ronnie Martin, manages the business operations.

In fact, Martin, 43, has been a part of the business nearly since birth. “My mom went into labor with me while working at the shop,” he says with a laugh.

Known for top-notch service, fair pricing and notoriously difficult parking, the new shop is a huge step up, with a 9,000-square-foot building and generous paved parking lot on its 1.3-acre footprint. Each of D&R Automotive's eight technicians will have their own section of the shop, complete with a flat stall and a lift.

“It’s going be very efficient, time-wise, with all this space,” Martin says. “It’s a big move for us. My grandfather always taught me that in order to be successful, sometimes you have to spend money for improvements.”

“That said, good business shouldn’t just be transactional,” Martin continues. “We’re proud of how we service the community. We may win accolades for sales and other things in our industry, but our greatest reward is knowing that we’re being beneficial to our neighbors and taking good care of everyone who comes in. This new facility will open up endless possibilities as far as what we're able to take on and, how much better we're able to continue to serve our community and our clients.”

D&R Automotive opens its new location at 2225 Eighth Street on Monday, Jan. 26. For more information, click here.