When Jason Reiss first walked through the doors of the Nissan dealership on Danbury Road, he had no way of knowing that he would leave it one day—only to come back as Executive Manager.
Cars weren’t really Jason’s thing—at least, not like his 3-year-old son, whom Jason says is a “car guru.” (He walks around with a backpack full of toy cars at all times.)
Jason started off following in his father’s footsteps, working at his HVAC company. But in college, he began noticing that his hands, arms, and face would go numb on the job. Eventually, Jason was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis—and one of the triggers happened to be the coating on the sheet metal used in the HVAC industry.
“When it became clear that I couldn’t work in HVAC anymore, a friend of mine recommended getting into the car business,” he says. “I never looked back.”
After a short stint at Volkswagen, Jason landed at the Bruce Bennett Nissan dealership on Route 7 in Wilton. His time working for “Mr. Bennett”—as he still refers to his former mentor (“It’s pure respect!” he shares)—proved to be an invaluable apprenticeship in customer service.
“Mr. Bennett always wanted perfection. He was a tough guy to work for, but I have the highest level of respect for him,” Jason says. “He always said, ‘The customer comes first!’ Everything Mr. Bennett stood for was built on taking care of people.”
When Mr. Bennett retired, he sold the dealership—name and all—to a multi-state dealership network headquartered in New Jersey. But the new ownership marked a sharp departure from Mr. Bennett’s customer-first philosophy.
“We were very competitive,” Jason recalls. “We were the largest Nissan store in our district. We fluctuated between being the number one and number two store in the state. But the mom-and-pop feel was gone, and putting the customer first wasn’t something that aligned with the new ownership.”
Jason left Bruce Bennett Nissan in January 2022. In a few short years, he watched the store’s reputation rapidly decline. When the opportunity arose to buy the dealership earlier this year, Jason jumped at the chance. He and his partner, Lenny Tarzia, reopened as Route 7 Nissan on May 20.
“It’s my goal to be known as the dealership that everybody wants to go to because they get treated right—because they have a good experience,” Jason says. “That’s what we’re focused on rebuilding.”
The new name is a nod to the dealership’s history. Before Bruce Bennett, there was Bob Sharp, a local racing legend who started out as a Datsun dealer in Wilton in the 1960s. Nissan became the marquee name in the 1980s, but Jason found inspiration in the original signage when designing his new logo.
“A lot of mechanic shops back then would have the old route sign,” he says. “I took that vintage look and modernized it.”
Lenny, who previously owned a large pet cremation business, shares Jason’s philosophy about taking care of customers. In fact, one of the things that impressed Jason most about his new partner was hearing that 87% of the employees who had started with Lenny were still with him when he sold the company.
“Lenny and I are both cut from the same cloth,” Jason says. “In order to succeed in business, the customer experience has to be perfect.”
Jason’s own retention numbers are just as strong: roughly 90% of the former technicians are now working for him again, along with Service and Parts Director Brian Eckert, salespeople Jeremiah and Rich, General Sales Manager Vito, and Finance Director Njomza. And other former employees continue to reach out, hoping for an opportunity to return.
Then there’s Bruno, the dealership’s resident good boy. The friendly mini goldendoodle has become something of a mascot at Route 7 Nissan, greeting customers and adding to the unmistakably un-corporate vibe Jason is trying to establish.
Route 7 Nissan is warm and sunny—and the staff follows suit. Jason says the dealership employed over 80 people during its heyday. Today, the staff consists of just under 50 people—but Jason’s goal is to build it back up.
“As long as we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll get there,” he says. “It might take time, but that’s okay.”
The customer base is coming back, too. Jason says there are more than 90,000 customers in the dealership’s database, many of whom remember the Bruce Bennett days—and many of them also remember Jason.
“I have customers that come in for service and walk over here just to hang out,” Jason says. “People enjoy being here. This is a place of comfort for them.”
That, more than anything, is what Jason says he is trying to rebuild.
Route 7 Nissan has one of the largest inventories in Connecticut, with more than 260 new vehicles and about 100 used cars. Inventory for the latter goes beyond Nissans, with everything from Hondas and Toyotas to BMWs, Jeeps, Mercedes, and even the occasional Porsche.
The Nissan lineup includes the popular Rogue, three-row Pathfinder, and eight-seat Armada, along with the Frontier pickup and Altima sedan. Jason says he has been particularly surprised by the local response to the Armada, which he began stocking more heavily after realizing how few dealerships were advertising it.
“I took 30 of them when we opened,” he says. “After three months, I was down to 14. Now that people are seeing the car on local roads, we’re getting a lot of customers from the area who want to get one.”
But the showroom is only half the equation. Jason puts just as much emphasis on ensuring the service department shines. The goal there, he says, is simple: fix the problem correctly the first time.
The dealership’s approach to service is deliberately transparent. Rather than telling customers what needs to be done, technicians use software and video to show them. If something can safely wait until the next visit, they explain what needs attention in plain terms so customers can decide when they’re ready to tackle it.
“If the customer can get by until the next time that they come in, if the car is safe to drive and it can wait, then we’re going to let them know. And we’ll back it up with the report and video.”
The service department at Route 7 Nissan is GT-R-certified and electric vehicle-certified, and its technicians service a wide range of makes and models—including non-Nissan cars, too. Anyone can bring their car in for service and for oil changes, which cost $89.
“I have a customer that drives here over an hour from Ansonia just for an oil change,” Jason says. “He knows my guys will take care of him. It’s not about the money—it’s about the customer having a good experience.”
This customer-first approach extends to mistakes, too. Jason acknowledges that they sometimes happen, but says the dealership takes responsibility and makes things right—even if that means absorbing the cost of working on the car again. For him, it comes down to integrity: doing the right thing, even when it isn’t the easiest or most profitable choice.
“Do mistakes happen? Sometimes. That’s life,” he says. “But if there is a mistake, we do the right thing. We should have fixed it from the start. It’s our responsibility.”
As Route 7 Nissan settles into its first year-end, Jason is excited about what’s new and upcoming. The dealership will be offering a range of end-of-year specials, including 0% financing on select Nissan models, Black Friday promotions, and discounts for veterans.
Nissan’s lineup is evolving, too. The Pathfinder is now available in a Rock Creek version—with four-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, and hill descent control—in addition to its standard front-wheel-drive version. The 2027 Rogue will also introduce Nissan’s third-generation e-POWER technology to the U.S. market.
Jason knows the sales will come. For him, that’s not the goal. He wants to be building the kind of dealership that’s a destination. One that not only people want to return to—but one that they want to bring their friends and family along to, too.
“I don’t believe in taking advantage of people over a dollar,” he says. “I believe in doing the right thing. I want people to have a good experience. That’s more important to me. Tell your friends and family, bring them here. We will take care of you.”
Route 7 Nissan is open seven days a week and is located at 978 Danbury Road in Wilton. Visit route7nissan.com to check inventory and for opening hours. Follow along on Instagram @Route7Nissan.