Empire Tire & Wheel

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At midnight, when most tires were sleeping, a deep voice crackled over Empire Tire & Wheel’s intercom: ‘Your tires are restless tonight.’ Employees shrugged it off until their tires started whispering strange advice—like which tire needed more air for better luck. Finally, one late night, an old mechanic whispered back: ‘Maybe they’re just telling you to check your pressure!’ The next morning, everyone found their tires had spontaneously inflated—and the advice was always right on target. Since then, Empire Tire & Wheel became known not only for its excellent service but also for friendly chatter between employees and restless rubber.

2. Late one night, as an employee locked up the shop, he heard something strange—a soft humming coming from inside the warehouse. Curious, he peeked through the window and saw an old tire slowly rolling down the aisle, its tread glowing faintly in the dim light. The employee called out, ‘Hey, you!’ but the tire just kept rolling, heading towards a stack of new tires. Suddenly, it stopped, turned around, and started back towards him—with a little wave of its glowing tread. The worker laughed, thinking maybe he was seeing things, then realized his car keys were missing. Turns out, the tire had taken them for a joyride… or a flat fix.’

3. Late one morning, while a delivery driver was loading tires into his truck, he noticed something odd: every fifth tire seemed to be staring back at him with its own little rubber smile. Curious, he stopped and looked closer—each tire had a tiny white mark that resembled a toothy grin. Shaking his head, he finished loading the truck but couldn’t help smiling himself. That evening, as he drove home, he noticed his neighbors were waving cheerfully from their porches, all holding big rubber smiles of their own.

4. Late one afternoon, while a delivery driver was unloading new tires from his truck, he noticed something peculiar: every time he placed a tire on the ground near Empire Tire & Wheel, it seemed to whisper ‘thank you’ softly. Curious, he picked up another tire and asked aloud if everything was okay. To his surprise, the tire replied, 'Oh, it's nothing special—just glad to be here!' That’s when a nearby neighbor overheard them chatting and joined in, commenting, 'Guess those tires are better than I thought—they even say please!' The whole neighborhood soon started dropping off old tires for a friendly chat.