Meet the Owners of Good Judy Garage | Inclusive LGBTQ+ Car Repair Shop

Hi CC + Faith!  Can you tell us how you started “Good Judy Garage” ? 

CC Haug (she/they) and Faith Haug (she/her) are partners and co-owners of Good Judy Garage. CC has always been passionate about cars and grew up in a family that owned auto shops and worked with dealerships. She was ready to come out as a trans woman in the summer of 2021, but did not feel like it was safe to do so. She knew if she wanted to be in the automotive industry and be her full, authentic self, she was going to need to create a space for her to do so. Faith was a key partner and helped set up the business side of Good Judy Garage. Together they transformed Good Judy Garage from an idea to what it is today.

Are you both from Colorado? Which neighborhood did you eventually choose to call home?

CC has lived in Colorado her whole life. She grew up in Salida and eventually settled in the Mar-Lee neighborhood. She likes this neighborhood because it is small and has a laid back vibe. It is a diverse neighborhood and it is close to everything.

Photo Credit: D. Fritz, River and Root Photography

Where does the name ‘Good Judy’ come from?

Good Judy is a nod to Judy Garland who was known for being an LGBTQ+ ally. If you are a good friend or ally to the community, you could be called a “good Judy.”

Where are you located? Why did you choose this neighborhood for your business?

Our address is 1865 W Union Ave Unit M Sheridan, CO 80110. We chose this location because we wanted to be close to downtown Denver, and also wanted to find a garage that had the space we needed.

What makes Good Judy stand out from other Repair shops?

Good Judy Garage is a welcoming space for everyone who might not feel comfortable going into an auto shop. Honesty and transparency are important to us and we want our customers to feel comfortable coming in and asking questions and feeling like their concerns are being heard without being taken advantage of. We strive to help educate folks about their cars and will be partnering with the Denver Tool Library this summer to teach basic car maintenance workshops. We also have a shop that features art from mostly local queer folks. We love our community and want to support artists.

What challenges have you experienced on your journey? 

We were not expecting how popular Good Judy Garage would be when we first opened! Faith and CC were planning on running the business together for at least a few months before expecting to have to hire more staff, but they ended up hiring two staff members within the first week of opening because so many people were making appointments. Since opening, we have expanded into the unit next to us and doubled our garage space, and we now have four mechanics.

What are some of the common services you offer?

We offer basic maintenance services like oil changes, tire rotations, wheel alignments, as well as more in depth mechanical repairs.

Shout Out Your Team!   What makes your team amazing?

Tyler Hurula (she/her) is our operations manager and she does just about everything except work on vehicles. She manages our scheduling, the shop, and makes sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. When she’s not at Good Judy Garage, she writes poetry and she brings creativity to the office.

Soph Ives (she/they) is our shop manager. They are one of the people working on the cars that come in and they have a background in welding and fabrication. They keep the mechanics organized and keep our customers safe on the road. They bring a much appreciated goofiness to the garage and always have some fun story to share.

Care Leite (he/they) is our repair technician. He is our go-to for mechanical repairs and specializes in Japanese cars. He is originally from Brazil and came to Denver by way of Buena Vista and is a mountain man through and through. He keeps everyone at the garage close and invites everyone to all of his outdoor adventures all over Colorado.

Charlie Teppler-Horne (they/he) is our newest team member, and they are our basic services technician. If you come in for an oil change they are likely the ones working on your car! They are super creative and artsy and can almost always be seen with a huge smile on their face, and we’re so happy to have them here.

The staff at Good Judy Garage would say CC is one of the most selfless people. She cares so much about her community and does her best to take care of the people close to her. She is one of the most authentic and genuine people out there and she makes it easy to show up and be our authentic selves everyday. 

How would you describe the Personality or “Vibe” of Denver? 

The Denver “Vibe” or personality tends to be pretty creative and eclectic! We see so many talented people come through here that are living their most authentic lives. We’ve also seen how folks can come together and support each other in Denver and we are so lucky to have this be the home for Good Judy Garage.

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