Toyota opens doors at Pharr dealership

PHARR - Owners of Frank Smith Toyota tried to make their new dealership in Pharr unlike any other auto lot - except for the cars, of course.

A La Palatera restaurant, free wireless Internet service and even a shoeshine are all part of the customer experience at the new Frank Smith Toyota, which is having a grand opening ceremony at 1 p.m. today. The dealership moved in February from McAllen to its new location at the junction of Business 83 and Expressway 83 in Pharr.

"It's mostly to increase our capacity," said Roland Smith, owner of the dealership and son of the namesake. "We've had a lot of success in the last three years and we want to keep growing."

The dealership also sells Hyundai and Isuzu vehicles, as wells as Toyota's Scion brand.

The property is three times as big as the old Frank Smith dealership located a few blocks west on Business 83 and Second Street in McAllen.

In particular, the new site offers more space for the growing line of Toyota Tundra pickup trucks. Launched nine years ago, the Tundra is the first full-size pickup produced by the automaker.

Smith decided to add a restaurant and other amenities to make the dealership more welcoming to customers. But mostly, he said, the new location is more accessible to Expressway 83 and the growing number of travelers on the highway.

The new 104,000-square-foot facility and its silver façade are based on Toyota's nationwide dealership concept, making it more recognizable to those familiar with the company's other dealerships across the country, Smith said.

The Pharr dealership is the fourth location for Frank Smith, which started in 1966 in Elsa. It moved to downtown McAllen in 1971 and to its former location on Second Street a few years later.