If valet parking your car wasn't already easy enough, a new on-demand startup has launched in Chicago to make the parking experience even more effortless.
Parche, based in Chicago, officially launched Wednesday and allows users to seamlessly pay for valet parking through its iOS app. Upon dropping off their car at the restaurant, users can request their vehicle in the app when their meal is done, receive a notification when their car is ready, and pay for the valet service all in the app. The company says it plans to also soon launch an Android app.
Parche currently works with 15 restaurants in Chicago, including Girl & The Goat, GT Fish & Oysters, and McCormick & Schmick's. The startup plans to add more than 20 additional location in the next couple weeks, it said in a news release.
"We saw a huge inefficiency in how valet works today," said Christian Peneff, co-founder and CEO of Parche. "The time to get your car back, the wait outside in the brutal Chicago weather, the cash payment and tipping, it’s frustrating and inconvenient."
Users scan their valet ticket when they're ready for their car, and the app notifies them when their vehicle pulls up to the curb. Valet tip and a service fee are included in the payment.
"We’re saving customers’ time, while enabling local businesses to offer their valued patrons an overall better experience,” Peneff added.
Co-founders Christian and Pavel Peneff went through Chicago-based Vokal to develop the app, which the agency called a "platform that will revolutionize the way people experience valet parking."
“Plus, it’s even more exciting when Chicago entrepreneurs and a leading Chicago digital agency join forces to build a product for Chicagoans to enjoy," said Reid Lappin, Founder & CEO of Vokal. "It’s the perfect example of the type of home-grown innovation that’s reinforcing the city’s vibrant and growing tech scene.”
Parche is the latest on-demand parking app to hit Chicago, but it isn't the only service to offer valet parking. Chicago-based SpotHero launched an on-demand valet service last year, and Chicago's ParkWhiz also gives app users valet deals.
Image via Parche
