It would be nice if they would have some take out spots then. I have ordered from Zoe's before (take-out) and gotten there with no place to park to run in and get the food. Disappointing.. it's my fav place.
Parking charges at Century Square
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Last: 6 yr ago by Cyp0111
I'd suggest letting them know your displeasure. I'd hate to see restaurants and small businesses (Merge, Hey Sugar, etc.) not make it because of people not coming due to ridiculous parking fees.
centurysquare@midwaycompanies.com
centurysquare@midwaycompanies.com
Parked right in front of Zoe's during the Nicholls game a few weeks ago.
This is insanity.
This is insanity.
People need to use that email
Was the dude taking the money also carrying a squeegee and a folded up cardboard sign?
"What's this button do?"
I just sent them an email.Captn_Ag05 said:
I'd suggest letting them know your displeasure. I'd hate to see restaurants and small businesses (Merge, Hey Sugar, etc.) not make it because of people not coming due to ridiculous parking fees.
centurysquare@midwaycompanies.com
No reason to be disrespectful to them. Just make sure they understand you will spend your money elsewhere until they make parking free again.
I sent them a message - below is the response I received:
Quote:
Prime parking is currently metered, but other nonmetered parking is currently available at Century Square. In addition, the garage at Century Square will be free for the first thirty minutes. Some tenants will validate parking & there will be free "short-term" parking spaces spread throughout the center for restaurant take-out and quick retail pickups. Being located on Texas A & M's campus it is necessary to optimize convenient parking options for patrons looking to make quick trips & to differentiate between university student parking!
_Every_ tenant needs to be able to validate parking there. Restaurants need to be able to validate for 3 to 4 hours. Same for the movie theater. Little places that sell cookies and the like need to be able to validate for at least an hour.
I get the issue of needing to combat student parking, or there would be no parking for true customers. But, they need to make parking free for true customers, period. It shouldn't just be "some" tenants who validate. And, the validation shouldn't cost the tenant a thing on top of their lease -- the developer needs to build that into their leasing fees just like every other developer in town.
And, I just remembered this -- the IHOP/Albertson's parking lot used to have no problem with combining being free and combating student parking. They had an eagle-eyed spotter who would have students towed in a minute who parked and crossed over to the university instead of being true customers.
I get the issue of needing to combat student parking, or there would be no parking for true customers. But, they need to make parking free for true customers, period. It shouldn't just be "some" tenants who validate. And, the validation shouldn't cost the tenant a thing on top of their lease -- the developer needs to build that into their leasing fees just like every other developer in town.
And, I just remembered this -- the IHOP/Albertson's parking lot used to have no problem with combining being free and combating student parking. They had an eagle-eyed spotter who would have students towed in a minute who parked and crossed over to the university instead of being true customers.
30 minutes is no time really. If you have to park in the garage and walk 5-10 minutes each way to the shops you will always go over 30 minutes.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Wow. Just wow. I like Hopdoddy and Zoe's Kitchen, but not enough to pay $3 an hour. Not with all the other places in the area, sorry.
The folks at Grub have to be popping champagne over this...
The folks at Grub have to be popping champagne over this...
Soooooo... a doorless Jeep would be kinda screwed right now.jrhmc said:
I'm not sure. He told me I had to pay at the meter and put in my license plate number then put the receipt on the dash. I'm guessing you'll have the option to add time if you stay longer. Probably the same way it works in the university garages where you can text to add time. I didn't see the garage open but I didn't stay long after being told that it was going to cost us $6 extra dollars to eat at Zoe's since I was meeting my husband there for lunch.
The decision and the response from Midway make it seem like they are completely out of touch with BCS. They have something like 35 spots on their site map that aren't claimed yet. If I was looking to open a restaurant or shop, I would be looking elsewhere today. Atlas/Town Lake should market their FREE PARKING.
Super curious what Orange Theory is going to do. I signed up but $3 a class x3-4 a week will add up. Pass.
Blaze, Zoe's Kitchen and Hopdoddy are good and all, but not enough for me to want to pay for the privilege to park near their restaurant (where I'll pay even more to get food).
This is beyond stupid. Century Square has lost my business.
EDIT: Just sent them this email:
This is beyond stupid. Century Square has lost my business.
EDIT: Just sent them this email:
Quote:
To Whom It May Concern:
Charging for parking at your Century Square location in College Station is an insult to the patrons that could potentially make your location successful while simultaneously demonstrating you don't have a strong grasp of the market/demographic in the area.
Yes, it's true that being located very near a Tier 1 research university, in a constrained area with minimal parking, represents a challenge to your group. How about you talk with restaurant and bar owners across South College (the street that divides you from your more-established brethren)? They've managed to live through a less-than-optimal parking situation for decades without ever having to charge their customers for parking.
Your current approach may work well in urban/uptown environments like Dallas or Houston where paying to park is the expected norm. THIS community frowns on it; we're simple, hard-working folks who want to support local business without an added parking penalty. You have certainly lost my business, and given the grumblings of a local online message board, you're about to lose a whole lot more (https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/2888586/replies/49958156).
I strongly suggest you consider alternative options -- free parking with validation (longer than "30 minutes") or some other means of NOT penalizing the establishments that will make your venture successful.
The GM of Whatabuger is watching this closely. If it is successful, they are thinking about charging $3 to park and $1.50 to use the drive-through.
Captn_Ag05 said:
I sent them a message - below is the response I received:Quote:
Prime parking is currently metered, but other nonmetered parking is currently available at Century Square. In addition, the garage at Century Square will be free for the first thirty minutes. Some tenants will validate parking & there will be free "short-term" parking spaces spread throughout the center for restaurant take-out and quick retail pickups. Being located on Texas A & M's campus it is necessary to optimize convenient parking options for patrons looking to make quick trips & to differentiate between university student parking!
If that was the only reason, why not not charge the parking fee if the person showed a receipt for a meal or purchase?
Hubs and I went today and left after being greeted by the parking meter dude. Saw others leaving right ahead of us.
Did the people who developed Century Square not notice that there is a huge university just across the street from it, and figure that people would be tempted to park there?
Parking that needs splaining.. Not a current trend.
tx_ag_gal said:
Hubs and I went today and left after being greeted by the parking meter dude. Saw others leaving right ahead of us.
I hope the Century Square tenants have a "we can terminate our lease if the landlord chases away all of our customers" clause in their lease.
Y'all post here when they stop charging because me and my family aren't even going to the trouble of going over there until that nonsense is dealt with.
Made KBTX news already. I am hopeful this will change it so the vendors can validate for an hour (or more for movies) and/or only charge on event days.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
My wife's oldest kid lost her mind, moved to Austin, and became a libtard. She likes Hopdoddy, and wants to take us there this weekend. Ain't happ'nin if I have to pay to park. Kinda like havin to pay to use my debit card.......
We were planning on trying Hopdoddy soon. Scratch that.
We went tonight and parked in front of Hopdoddy's..... no fee.... no meters.... where are these meters? No person in the parking lot. We were there from 6-8...
We parked right in front of Hopdoddy's ...... say no meters and do attendant. We weee there from 6-8..... tons of young families were eating outside of Blaze Pizza and on the open area between Hopdoddy's and Blaze......
Century Square is a bad idea to begin with. Free or not, I'm not parking in a parking garage to get a burger or see a movie. This isn't NYC.
"Who do they think we am?" - Dale Watson
As someone else already mentioned, grub is very comparable - if not better - and it's hassle free.
"Who do they think we am?" - Dale Watson
As someone else already mentioned, grub is very comparable - if not better - and it's hassle free.
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Do you know how many boxes of Girl Scout cookies that could buy?
I'd park in a parking garage for a movie if Studio Movie Grill is as good as Alamo Drafthouse. I'm not certain if I'd be willing to pay to park since Cinemark has awesome seats already.CactusThomas said:
Century Square is a bad idea to begin with. Free or not, I'm not parking in a parking garage to get a burger or see a movie. This isn't NYC.
"Who do they think we am?" - Dale Watson
As someone else already mentioned, grub is very compatible - if not better - and it's hassle free.
It is simply an out of touch developer overplaying their hand.
If you validated parking, then you are fine.
If you charged to park on Game Day, that's fine.
Charging to park on boring Tuesday lunch is ridiculous.
If you validated parking, then you are fine.
If you charged to park on Game Day, that's fine.
Charging to park on boring Tuesday lunch is ridiculous.
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They do it at City Centre so I guess they are modeling after that.
Another aspect to view this is that the developer considers Century Square to be a lifestyle destination and consequently need to charge for the perceived amenity.
Maybe they believe it's time to start training the public here to pay for such an amenity and not take it for granted.
Risky business to be sure. Time will tell.
We are slowly becoming a city. I suppose you have to pay to play.
I'm not saying I would pay. I don't see the value.
Another aspect to view this is that the developer considers Century Square to be a lifestyle destination and consequently need to charge for the perceived amenity.
Maybe they believe it's time to start training the public here to pay for such an amenity and not take it for granted.
Risky business to be sure. Time will tell.
We are slowly becoming a city. I suppose you have to pay to play.
I'm not saying I would pay. I don't see the value.
It's worth noting that City Centre in Houston, owned by the same people, is doing the same thing. Sad that places like that cannot adapt to their environment. I understand paid parking in Houston, but not here.
birdman said:
If you validated parking, then you are fine.
Still not worth the hassle in my opinion.
Yep, gotta learn them yokels to pay for parking - that's life in the big city!! But we're not a big city and won't be for a while. We're a very nice-sized pair of cities with plenty of restaurants and stores that have plenty of free parking. If they maintain this policy, not going to Century Square will be one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.australopithecus robustus said:
They do it at City Centre so I guess they are modeling after that.
Another aspect to view this is that the developer considers Century Square to be a lifestyle destination and consequently need to charge for the perceived amenity.
Maybe they believe it's time to start training the public here to pay for such an amenity and not take it for granted.
Risky business to be sure. Time will tell.
We are slowly becoming a city. I suppose you have to pay to play.
I'm not saying I would pay. I don't see the value.
I liked Hopdoddys in Austin. No way I'll pay extra to try the one here. Grub has plenty of free parking and less traffic at that part of University anyways!