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VIDALIA — Triage Garage Off Road shop in Vidalia repairs, upgrades and improves side by sides or All Terrain Vehicles. Allen and Angel Booty own the company which began three years ago in Metairie. It was a small business selling after market parts online. 

In November 2021, they moved to the former Riverside Auto Sales location at 5331 US84 in Vidalia. The shop’s lot has multiple side-by-sides on display. They are not for sale but serve as an example of what people can do to upgrade their ATVs. 

These same ATVs were featured in Vidalia’s Mardi Gras Parade as parade goers drove down Carter Street with lights, lift kits and music blaring from speakers. A purple Mardi Gras float sits tucked away in the back with the name Can’t Act Right on its side, the name of its Facebook page for offroad ATV riding enthusiasts. Currently, they have a side-by-side sitting on a trailer that has 60 inch tires and towers like a monster truck. 

“We take it for granted. We are around it all the time,” Allen said. “It’s really cool to see the excitement in kids’ faces when they see these. Over the last five years, we have grown so much.” 

Pimped out side-by-sides and riding began as a hobby for the Bootys about nine years ago. They had a camp out at Camp Ridgepoint and would ride around in their ATVs. Over six years, they turned their hobby into their passion. 

Three years ago, they began a business in a small backyard garage in Metairie, he said. Angel had spent her career in the medical field and Allen had worked in the oil field for 22 years. They decided to chase a dream of owning a business to upgrade, repair and improve people’s rides. 

He said they wanted to expand and Vidalia was the right fit. Angel and Allen had family in the area and the property gave them enough room to move around. His brother has a construction business and uses part of the property for construction. 

“We want to service the hunters, farmers and big tire guys. We have a full service center for ATVs,” Allen said. “I want people to know we are here for their needs. We tried to stay focused in a niche market. I think it works really well here. The hobby has grown out here. During the pandemic, they cut our hours at work so we decided to focus on the business full time.” 

The free and open country in Concordia Parish is a great market for side-by-sides, he said. A side-by-side is different from a four-wheeler because it is a two-seater and is a lot more comfortable to ride in. 

He said four-wheelers are more abundant especially with younger people because they have a lower price point. Currently, the shop only services side-by-sides, typically ones seven-years-old or newer.

Triage Garage has a goal to become the No.1 retailer in the south for aftermarket side-by-side parts. They want to maintain a reputation for great service and focusing on people’s needs. A lot of their side-by-sides are turbochargers and high performance. They try to offer parts people may need if they forgot something on the way to a ride, Angel said. Those parts are also premium parts from certified dealers. 

“We are driven by small businesses who supply and show up and ride for people to see,” she said. “Our hope is we have a part for someone if they need something so their weekend isn’t ruined. We try to carry things they need just in case.”

Allen added a lot of the parts in the showroom are things people can do by themselves at home. They offer tech support and tutorials on how to install parts on their facebook page. 

The garage’s name ties back to Angel’s time in the medical field, he said. When someone brings in a side-by-side for repairs, they triage it to find out what is wrong. In the past, they had race rides named flatiner or pacemaker, Angel said. 

On the weekends, the Bootys travel anywhere from two to five hours to ride in competitions as part of the Battle of the Builds series. Bounty holes are races to ride to drive through a big old mudhole

“It is a large series. It is a lot of fun for us and it is great for business,” Allen said. “All of our rides and events are on the Can’t Act Right facebook page. We fellowship and have food afterwards.”