Glenview to fund free valet service for diners at Glen, downtown, for another year

Tax dollars will fund valet parking services in two Glenview shopping and dining districts as officials look for ways to support and boost patronage at local businesses.

The Glenview Village Board last month voted to approve a $147,200 one-year valet contract with Presidential Parking for the Glen Town Center and downtown Glenview.

The vote is a renewal of a six-month contract the village initially entered into last July at a cost of $73,600.

According to village officials, the free valet service addresses what patrons may perceive as “inconvenient parking situations” and is a “public amenity to support the continued vibrancy” of the Glen Town Center and downtown.

The approved contract allows for two valet stands in the Glen and two in downtown, according to the village. Services are available between 5 and 10:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

Since July, valet has only been offered on Tower Drive in the Glen, with the provider reporting that between 20 and 40 vehicles are parked each day the service is available, a village memo said. With El Tradicional restaurant relocating to a larger space, an escape room opening in the former Book Market at Hangar One, and cold weather in full force, it is anticipated that usage of valet services will increase, elected officials were told.

As downtown Glenview undergoes a revitalization, some new restaurants have recently opened, with several more slated to open in 2026.

The goal is to have the valet services privately funded after 2027, said Glenview Director of Community Development Jeff Brady. This can be achieved through financial collaborations and the formation of merchants associations, Brady said.

Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said it is unclear how many other municipalities in the state may be funding free valet services for patrons, but noted the benefits of such a practice on the overall community.

“We know that supportive policies like this will help keep restaurant businesses strong, bringing customers into these areas,” Toia told Pioneer Press. “This will help to support all other small businesses and the city’s overall tax base.”

Glenview Trustee Mary Cooper called the valet service “a shot in the arm” for the commercial districts, but she and Trustee Katie Jones agreed that data on usage should be provided and reviewed.

“In the Glen, one of the main things I always hear from many residents is they don’t want to park in the parking garage and walk to the restaurants,” Jones said.

“You can disagree or agree with it, but it’s something I hear all the time. So I do think this [valet service] is necessary—at least for the time being.”

Trustee Tim Doron pointed to “North Shore communities with vibrant downtowns,” as examples of places where valet service is prominent.

“Valet is really, really important, especially when restaurants are in the incubation stages,” Doran said.

One restaurant that opened last summer, Jackman & Co. on Glenview Road, is funding its own complimentary valet services for its patrons, elected officials were told.

David Just, a spokesperson for the village, said Glenview will be working with a vendor starting in late spring or early summer to open a kiosk around the time restaurants on the west side of the downtown, such as Spiro’s, Zenzi Den and Foxtail, open.