Free valet parking on the weekends in La Grange appears to be an idea whose time has come, observers of the program agree.
Launched on a trial basis in July, the program started with 130 cars on a Friday or Saturday night, and in October, up to 200 cars per night were parked, said Jaimie Luevano, co-owner of Accurate Valet, based in La Grange.
“Our busiest months are the winter months, and we’re projecting a 20 percent increase in car counts for November through February,” said Zach Cooke, Luevano’s partner and co-owner.
Cooke said he based his estimate on results from a trial period during the holidays a year ago in La Grange, as well as experience with other clients in the Chicago area over the past five years.
Village Finance Director Lou Cipparrone said the village has spent $10,620 from July 17 through October. Business leaders proposed the program to counter a parking crunch during prime weekend hours for spaces convenient to downtown restaurants.
Luevano said the program averages 30 hours per night at $13 an hour billed to the village. Each employee earns a tip of $3 to $5 per vehicle parked, he said. The service has parked about 2,500 cars during 16 weekends, he said.
Cooke said the program is popular with La Grange visitors because it’s free. The firm was hired by several restaurants in town to park cars in the past, but even at a nominal fee in La Grange or elsewhere, the results weren’t the same, he said.
“Even with a charge of $2 to $5, the car counts dropped dramatically,” he said.
The program operates from three stations. A loading zone is on the east side in front of Francesa’s Belleza, 75 S. La Grange Road, and at Kama Indian Bistro, 9 S. La Grange Road. The third station is on the west side in front of Nicksons Eatery, 30 S. La Grange Road.
Luevano said the percentage of business is split about the same among the three stations, which serve other restaurants and shops in their vicinity from 5 p.m. to closing time. The valet service parked about 28 percent of the cars from the station at Francesca’s, 34 percent at Kama and 38 percent at Nicksons, he said.
“We’re essentially creating another whole lot for 200 cars to park, like Lot 2,” he said, referring to the village lot at Harris and 6th avenues.
Steve Palmer, co-owner of Palmer Place and a member of the Community and Economic Development Commission reviewing the program, said restaurant owners are pleased with the initiative.
“The ones that take reservations are smiling, because they’re not waiting an hour for their customers to find a parking spot, or they’re able to seat the whole party together,” Palmer said. “I’ve not heard a complaint from anyone.”
While Palmer said he doesn’t benefit directly from the program with a station in front of his restaurant, it allows his customers to find a spot more easily.
“The fact that they’re parking 25 customers from in front of Francesa’s on one night opens up 25 spots for my customers,” he said.
Cooke said his employees, who are college students or older, shuttle vehicles to lots a little further away from the downtown area, such as Lot 12, at Burlington and 7th avenues, which previously were mostly empty. The time to return a vehicle to its owner is about 3 minutes, he said, depending on the outlying lot location and the timing of stoplights and trains.
The stations’ loading zones, which are three parking spaces in length also allow customers to dash in to pick up carry-out orders, he said.
Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin suggested the program be continued through June to provide a year’s worth of data and an opportunity for the valet owners to buy insurance on a longer term basis, cutting their costs. Month-to-month rates are expensive, he noted.
The 2015-16 village budget earmarks $50,000 for economic development, funded through a sales tax increase projected to bring in $750,000 the first year. Voters approved a 0.75 percentage point increase in April to fund sewer and flood control projects and other initiatives, bringing the nonhome-rule total to 1 percentage point.
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Cipparrone said sales tax receipts were slightly higher in July at $133,000, compared to the same month a year ago at $125,000. July was the first month to collect the higher sales tax and the first partial month in which valet parking was offered, he said.
“It’s probably too early to tell if there is a direct correlation, or just a busy summer month,” he said.
Commission members voted unanimously Nov. 5 to recommend extending the program through June at a cost not to exceed $40,000. The Village Board is expected to consider the proposal in November.
Commission members asked the valet service to track how many cars are from La Grange, based on village stickers, and which restaurants or shops visitors are patronizing.
Cooke also proposed improvements to the valet kiosks to attract more attention to the free service, as well as the possibility of selling advertising on valet parking receipts.
Twitter: @janemichaels22