Is Gas Monkey Still in Business in Texas?

Get ready – I‘m about to take you on a wild ride through everything you need to know about the current state of the iconic Texas brand Gas Monkey! Buckle up and get ready for some juicy details.

Hang On, Gas Monkey Garage is Still Cruising in Dallas!

You bet Gas Monkey is still pumping in its home city of Dallas! Founded way back in 2002 by charismatic owner Richard Rawlings, Gas Monkey Garage still reigns supreme as one of the premier hot rod and classic car shops in the Lone Star State.

This badass garage specializes in full restorations, custom fabrication, upgrades, paint jobs – you name it. Their mechanics are true artists when it comes to cars, with decades of combined experience bringing old wrecks back to life.

Fun Fact: Richard Rawlings started Gas Monkey Garage after selling printing equipment and mortgaging his own house to finance his dream!

The OG Dallas shop isn‘t the only Lone Star location either…Gas Monkey expanded to open outposts in Houston in 2017 and Austin in 2016. These garages let more Texans get their hands on Gas Monkey‘s signature custom builds, parts, and swag.

Which reminds me – their online merch store ships worldwide for all you Gas Monkey superfans!

Last Call at the Bar N‘ Grill

I‘m sure you‘ve heard that the iconic Gas Monkey Bar N‘ Grill in Dallas closed up shop in 2020 after a good 7 year run. A real shame – this place had great food, live music, and of course killer drinks and vibes.

So what happened? Well, a cocktail of factors led to its demise:

• Good ol‘ fashioned drama between owners Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman – these two were clashing hard those last couple years. Made things stressful for the staff.

• Operating costs were apparently sky high. Keeping a place like that running in a big city like Dallas ain‘t cheap!

• Stiff competition on the Dallas food and bar scene didn‘t help either. Tough to keep up.

• Ole Covid came along and completely gutted their customer base with closures and social distancing. The final nail in the money-losing coffin.

RIP Gas Monkey Bar N‘ Grill…you burned bright for a time! The end of an era.

Richard‘s Role Today

Now you may be wondering – does Richard still own the bar bearing the Gas Monkey name? The answer is no – he and his partner Marcus sold it off back in 2018 to new local owners.

But fear not – Richard still visits all the time and is big supporter! In fact, the new owners kept a lot of the original vibe that made the place so darn popular. Richard‘s legacy lives on there in spirit, even if he‘s no longer owner.

Dynamic Duo: Richard and Aaron‘s Epic Friendship

Speaking of Richard and former co-host Aaron Kaufman, I know fans often ask – are these two still good buddies even after some past issues?

Well let me tell you, their friendship goes way back to high school and remains as strong as ever today! You just can‘t manufacture bonds like that.

These two are spotted together all the time at car events, races, auctions, charity functions – you name it. The camaraderie is palpable when they‘s joking around and bantering even after all these years. Big love between those guys. Warms my motor-loving heart!

Fun Fact: Aaron and Richard have matching tattoos of the Gas Monkey logo – now that‘s friendship!

Aaron Keeps Cruising with Cars

But what has Aaron been up to since handing the Gas Monkey keys over to Richard? Great question! This guy clearly has gasoline running through his veins and cars on the brain 24/7.

Let‘s see, he‘s currently the owner and head honcho of his own shop – Arclight Fabrication in Dallas. They specialize in full custom builds, fabrication and modding just like Aaron did with Gas Monkey.

He also runs his own reality show called ‘Shifting Gears‘ on Discovery. It follows Aaron as he travels the byways of America finding rare cars to restore for clients. Entering its 4th season!

And if that wasn‘t enough, he has his own Arclight apparel line with hats, shirts and merchandise sporting his vintage logo designs.

The man clearly never stops dreaming up new automotive ventures! And his personal car collection is still growing strong with rare classics – a 1932 Ford Roadster being one of his favorites.

Richard‘s Beautiful Wife

Now folks often wonder, just who is the lovely lady who managed to tie down wildman car collector Richard Rawlings himself?

Her name is Katerina Deason and they wed in 2015. Kat is a fitness model, reality TV star in her own right, and now loving mother to their daughter Adeline born in 2018.

By all accounts, Richard and Kat are still going strong after meeting way back in 2011. Kat keeps Richard grounded and seems to love the craziness that comes with his motor-obsessed world. They really are too cute together!

Fun Fact: For their honeymoon, Richard and Kat went on a rock n‘ roll-themed cruise called "Monster of Rock" with bands like Kiss and Night Ranger playing. Makes sense for these two!

Richard‘s Net Worth – A Pretty Penny!

With Gas Monkey raking in the dough and his TV shows dominating the ratings, it‘s no surprise Richard is sitting pretty financially. His estimated net worth? A cool $20 million bucks!

The bulk of his bucks comes from Gas Monkey Garage‘s massive success over the past 20 years. Those custom builds and parts don‘t come cheap!

His various hit television shows have also lined his pockets nicely. Being a reality TV celebrity definitely pays – especially when your show gets picked up for 15+ seasons like ‘Fast N‘ Loud‘ did. Ka-ching!

Add in his side projects like merchandise and cameos, and it‘s easy to see how Richard got so flush with cash over the years. But hey – he earned every penny with hard work and sheer automotive talent!

Mechanics Earn Their Weight in Gold

Of course, Richard‘s success depends on his crew of ace mechanics at Gas Monkey Garage. So how much does this world-class team get paid?

Well Gas Monkey doesn‘t reveal exact salaries publicly. But insider reports estimate their mechanics earn $35,000 to $45,000 annually. The top talent can easily hit the higher end of that scale.

Considering the specialized nature of their work, those salaries are well-earned! Restoring and modifying classic cars takes serious skill and know-how. These guys have earned their stripes.

Add in benefits like overtime, insurance, 401Ks, and profit sharing, and Gas Monkey mechanics rake in pretty sweet compensation overall! A dream job for any car nut.

Rawlings‘ Epic Car Collection Sold Off

Richard Rawlings has amassed an epic personal collection of over 100 rare and valuable collector vehicles over his career. We‘re talking vintage Ferraris, old-school Hot Wheels, classic Mustangs – you name it!

But in early 2022, Richard shocked the car community by announcing he was selling off his entire private collection in one monumental auction sale. Sacrilege for such a renowned car hoarder!

So why ditch the priceless vehicles he‘s spent decades acquiring? Well the sale reportedly netted him a cool $10 million to fund his next big purchase – a private airplane!

Selling the cars also let Richard simplify his assets and focus time on new business pursuits like his growing media company. Still, I‘m sure it wasn‘t easy parting with those beauties after so long. What a bold move by a real automotive trailblazer.

Gas Monkey Garage Still Cruising

With Richard and Aaron going separate ways in recent years, fans understandably wondered if Gas Monkey Garage was shutting down for good. I mean, how could the show go on without one of its dynamic hosts?

Well I‘m thrilled to report Gas Monkey Garage is still kicking hard, with Richard truly steering the ship now. He brought in some fresh blood like mechanics Jason Aker and Kevin Clark.

While Aaron is dearly missed, the new cast and projects brought Gas Monkey charging into its 16th season and beyond! With Richard‘s leadership, this shop will keep pumping out incredible builds for years to come.

Misfit Garage – Still Misfits After All These Years

And what about Gas Monkey‘s ragtag spinoff show Misfit Garage? The antics of Tom, Thomas and Jordan as they attempted daring builds each week made for quality TV.

Well break out the beer koozies because Misfit Garage is still chugging along! Now entering its 6th season, Fired Up Garage is cooking up more wild custom jobs for clients.

These lovable misfits haven‘t lost their chemistry, creativity, or sense of humor one bit. It just goes to show if you have passion, any group of diehards can achieve great things together. Long live Misfit Garage!

Meet Richard Rawlings Garage

Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed the Gas Monkey name itself has shifted over the years. In 2019, Gas Monkey was rebranded as Richard Rawlings Garage moving forward.

This change celebrated Richard‘s celebrity status and growing media empire. But at its heart, this is still the same team of mechanical maestros restoring rides and having fun doing it!

Fun Fact: Richard Rawlings Garage builds custom vehicles for high-profile clients like basketball legend Shaquille O‘Neal!

And while the name evolved, Gas Monkey‘s dedication to quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction hasn‘t changed one bit. That‘ll always be Richard‘s top priority.

Gas Monkey‘s Major Move Online

In 2021, Gas Monkey made a bold strategic decision – they closed up their physical store to become an purely online outlet selling merchandise.

This transition aimed to reach the maximum number of Gas Monkey devotees worldwide. Without the overhead and limitations of a brick-and-mortar space, their merch can find homes with fans everywhere!

Going online also majorly reduces costs like rent, utilities and more. The savings get invested back into the business. So this move made perfect financial sense to reach a global audience.

In today‘s economy, having a thriving ecommerce operation is absolutely essential. Kudos to Gas Monkey for evolving with the times! They‘ll continue growing stronger.

Fired Up: What Led to Tom‘s Dismissal

Tom Smith was an integral part of Misfit Garage as their expert mechanic. But he was eventually handed a pink slip from Gas Monkey after a series of issues:

• Tom apparently ignored policies and didn‘t follow the proper procedures on builds, which caused major headaches.

• He was frequently late and didn‘t communicate well with the team, lowering workplace morale.

• Tom‘s delays resulted in missed deadlines that cost Gas Monkey in terms of budget and productivity.

• Decisions he made without consulting management created problems with the business operations.

Ultimately Tom‘s behavior just didn‘t align with the team atmosphere and standards Gas Monkey demanded. As tough as it was, his firing allowed the shop to move forward more smoothly. These decisions are never easy, but sometimes necessary for success.

So there you have it friends – the full scoop on Gas Monkey‘s current operations in Texas and beyond! From Richard to the crew, this brand has plenty of exciting adventures still in store. Strap in and get your motors running – Gas Monkey will keep cruising at full throttle for years ahead!