Valet Parking Services, once a luxury reserved for the wealthiest of the rich, is now an unfettered service available to everyone. Today, it is typical in a lot of public areas, including airports, health clubs, hospitals, and even movie theatres. So how did the lowly valet get from the aristocratic surroundings of majestic houses to the Burger King park lot?
The custom stems back to a time when people mostly utilised horses for transportation. The term “personal man-servant” or “valet” dates back to the middle of the fourteenth century. Usually a valet or valet de chambre who worked as their master’s personal attendant. Additional responsibilities included transporting the horses or carriages of visitors to the stables. When the servants started parking visitors’ cars at the start of the 20th century, the tradition of parking persisted.
In the beginning, valet parking
Herb Citrin, sometimes known as “Mr. Valet” or the “Father of Valet parking services,” was interviewed for the Lexus Guide to Valet Parking. Citrin, who passed away last year, founded his valet business in Los Angeles in 1946 and added professionalism to a once-undervalued industry.
Valet services was undoubtedly created by Citrin; it was not discovered by him. “My father parked automobiles back in the ’30s,” Critin said in the interview with Lexus. A month before turning 16, I began assisting him. At Lawry’s The Prime Rib on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, Citrin’s father managed the parking lot. It was observed that Citrin introduced stylish attire for valets in 1946, and the majority of the other 20 dining establishments on La Cienega Boulevard asked Citrin to manage their parking.
Citrin transitioned from restaurants to offices and retail stores. Later, his business started managing parking for major Hollywood events including the Academy Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes, and airports.
The valet parking market is booming.
The purpose of valet parking has evolved significantly over time, from opening doors for the who’s who to saving clients’ time when parking is scarce — which can be a nightmare in densely populated cities. Valet parking services, once a sign of wealth, is today a well-run and rather common service.
The rise in the number of parking jobs throughout the years is evidence of its success. According to the National Parking Association, there are 200,000 parking attendants employed in the US. Northeasterners are the biggest users of parking, accounting for around 61 percent of all Americans. Only 27% of respondents claimed never to utilise a valet.
Fresh choices for valet parking
Valet has expanded in recent years beyond only parking cars to include additional vehicles like motorcycles and boats. In the past ten years, the popularity of bicycle valet parking has increased as more and more people choose to pedal to their destinations. A boat valet parking services option is now available for individuals who enjoy cruising.
The Early Years:
Car can be traced back to the early 20th century, when it first became a common service at luxury hotels and restaurants in major cities. In the 1920s and 1930s, car park service began to expand to other types of businesses, such as department stores and office buildings.
Years of Service by a Pioneer in Valet Parking “Mr. Valet” is a popular moniker for Herb Citrin. When he inherited the parking concession at Lawry’s The Prime Rib restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, in 1946, he invented premium valet parking and built a valet parking empire that spanned the country.
