Mr. and Mrs. Allen Roy are sometimes known as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, especially during the Christmas holidays. Owner of Allen’s Auto Upholstery, Roy wears red year-round. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer
It’s Christmas year-round at Allen’s Auto Upholstery, where Santa-look-alike Allen Roy creates custom upholstery in his workshop.
In business since 1991, Roy is both experienced and highly skilled in the art of auto upholstery, whether sewing logos onto boat seats or covering a truck’s interior with fine leather.
“Spring and summer are my busiest times, and during the holiday times, I’m also Santa Claus,” he said with twinkle in his eye. “I’ve got a long, white beard that goes all the way down to my belly. I look like Santa all year long.”
Customers can expect perfection when they bring a vehicle to this Santa’s shop. He doesn’t cut corners when it comes to quality.
“It’s like putting on new clothes without taking a bath first,” he said with a jolly laugh. “If it’s not gonna last, what’s the purpose? I get a lot of satisfaction from redoing something and having it look good. Upholstery is functional before it’s pretty. Before it looks good, it has to work well.”
Roy compared an insufficient upholstery job with decayed, underlying levels to a handsome yet shallow movie star: “He looks good but has no character.”
Allen’s Auto Upholstery is a one-man operation. Roy’s wife — who plays Mrs. Claus alongside him each winter — occasionally lends a hand running errands, but it’s just him in the workshop (no elves to get in the way).
Roy especially likes the freedom of being self-employed and getting to do what makes him — and his customers — happy.
“I like doing upholstery,” Roy said. “I like the creative aspect of it and the satisfaction from seeing things, knowing they’re done right and they look nice. I take a lot of pride when the customer is satisfied and when they smile and shake my hand.”
Maybe someday, he’ll get to meet the jolly ol’ elf himself, when St. Nick brings in his sleigh for a makeover.
Visit Allen’s Auto Upholstery at 3622 South Padre Island Drive or call (361) 851-2331 for more information.
