A few weeks back Seattle scored Luxe, a San Francisco based on-demand valet service that’s already made L.A., New York, Austin, and five other cities pretty seriously happy.
The premise is simple: You don’t hire the car, you use your own. You hire the driver. That driver can arrange to meet you at your chosen restaurant when you arrive, so you can turn over your car keys and have him or her park it for you at one of Luxe’s secure lots. Later, with 15 minutes notice, the driver will bring your car back to you. Order the extra service and they’ll refuel or even wash it while you’re dining. Rates vary by city; the Luxe website claims a $5 per-hour average, though city, parking rates, time-of-day, and extra services will influence that.
Luxe offers another service which will be of interest to Nosh readers—one that launches in Seattle today. It’s called the Drive Home program, in which a driver will meet you wherever you’ve over-imbibed and drive you back home. Launched in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, that organization will receive $1 from every ride. It costs $25 plus $3 per mile.
Yeah, I know—sounds like a lot. Considerably less costly than driving drunk, however. And none of the indignity of having to go look for your car the morning after.
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