Moxie Scooters has been providing the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area with quality scooters and great service since 2004. Owned by John and Kammy Raimondi, the business sells scooters and accessories, and provides mechanical services.

Community Impact sat down with John Raimondi to talk about the inspiration behind the business and the best part about being a small-business owner.

What was your background before Moxie Scooters?

Raimondi: I had been a pilot in the military, and when I got out, I got a job with American Airlines based here at DFW. My wife, Kammy, was raising two small children. They were young girls, probably 10 and 8, and she was willing to put some effort into starting a business.

What inspired you to start the business?

Raimondi: It was actually late 2003, and my wife and I decided to come up with a second source of income. The main reason for that was American Airlines was struggling after 9/11, and we were concerned that this would cause the airline to go out of business. We were just kind of brainstorming on what we wanted to do. Next thing you know, I said, “I've always been into minibikes, dirt bikes and road bikes. We could maybe do some scooters.” My wife decided that she would do the sales on them, and I would be in the back working on them. That's how we started. We were in Colleyville for 18 years, and now we've been in Grapevine for the last two years.

Where did your love of bikes come from?

Raimondi: When I was a kid living in a suburban setting in Pennsylvania, a lot of the guys had motorized minibikes. It was like a lawnmower engine put on a metal frame. We would buy these and then just ride them around. That was the big thing. It was like 10 of us that would just go ride. That's where the love of being on the two wheels came from.

What does Moxie Scooters offer?

Raimondi: It starts with the new scooters. We sell seven brands, and they're all scooters. That's all we do. We sell new and used, but the majority of what it is are new scooters. We sell helmets, goggles, gloves and jackets, you know, riding jackets that actually have protection in them. People also want accessories, so we carry a lot of different accessories like chrome racks to put on the bikes. We also sell merchandise, T-shirts, hoodies and key chains. On the service end of it, we can order parts, and we have your basic things where you can get an oil change. A scooter needs a tire change, a tuneup, spark plugs, air filters and fuel filters. Sometimes they break down. We’re able to diagnose what's wrong with them and fix them.

What is the most rewarding part of owning your own business?

Raimondi: Being family owned, we're not locked into what some corporate individual may think we should do. We're able to pick and choose what we want to do, what we want to sell and what we want to service. The most rewarding thing is putting a smile on someone's face when they come in. The rewarding part is being there for people to get to do what they want to do and watching them come in for years for service or an upgrade.

To learn more about Moxie Scooters, visit their website, call 817-788-5333 or stop by at 503 W. Northwest Highway, Grapevine.

The above story was produced by Community Impact's Senior Multi Platform Journalist Sierra Rozen with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.