Wayne Johnson pitches ValPark, his valet parking app, to the Sharks in episode 703. Johnson’s vision is that people everywhere will use their phones to find and pay for parking. He has some locations in the Washington DC area, but the app hasn’t caught on beyond that area.
The idea is straight forward enough: if you need to find a garage, you search the app, reserve a space, and pay right from your smart phone. The concept works for restaurants and nightclubs with valet service, too. When you valet park, you can request your car from your phone.
As with any app, the challenge is in the execution. Is Mr. Johnson up to the task?
My Take on the Valet Parking App
Initially, I thought this was a good idea. They lost me when they said you can request your car from your restaurant table. I HATE when people have their phones out in restaurants, especially nice restaurants. I would never use that feature. Paying for parking with a valet parking app sounds like a good idea, though.
I think Johnson needs to get the major parking lot owners and management companies on board instead of “one-offing” different venues. I don’t think this is a viable app and I am not sure they’ll be in business in a few months, so I am out.
Do Sharks Valet Park?
Apps in general face an uphill battle with the Sharks for the same reasons most apps fail: they are poorly researched and poorly executed. It appears, unfortunately, ValPark is destined to failure. The Facebook page hasn’t been updated in months and it has very few followers. The fact there’s no Shark Tank hype whatsoever tells me the business is in trouble.
The valet parking app is only available for iPhone – not Android, which tells me there are execution problems. Reviews of the app on Apple are unflattering at best. Recent reviews indicate Valpark doesn’t work. There isn’t much information on the company at all; it almost seems like it’s hanging on for dear life, hoping for the Shark Tank effect for life support. This pitch has all the makings of a train wreck.
With all this said, I think ValPark would be wise to license the valet parking app to parking management companies. I don’t think Mr. Johnson is getting anywhere with the Sharks, so it may be his only hope.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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