ParkRTC: Many Restaurants Won't Validate Parking for Customers at Reston Town Center

Editor's note: This article originally indicated that World of Beer validates for parking. World of Beer has since stated they do not validate.

RESTON, VA — The launch of ParkRTC and the end of free parking at Reston Town Center is looming with a Jan. 3 start date, and a poll of the 36 restaurants listed in the directory at RTC reveals that many of the restaurants will validate customers for parking -- but just as many will not or have not yet decided what they will do.

A total of 16 restaurants told Patch that they will validate for parking when paid parking begins at RTC next month, whereas 13 restaurants said the customers will have to foot the bill. Another four restaurants still weren't sure what they would do with just a couple weeks remaining, while the three other restaurants could not be reached. UPDATE: Reston Town Center is keeping an official list of vendors who validate, which you can find here.

Beginning Jan. 3, visitors to RTC will be charged $2 per hour for the first two hours while parking there, with prices dipping to about a dollar per hour the longer you stay. Payments will generally be made through the ParkRTC app, although Reston Town Center offers online payment and cash payment options for those who don't want to use the app.

While many restaurants are opting to take on that fee themselves through validation, a significant percentage of restaurants are declining to foot the bill, with one restaurant saying they couldn't afford it because they were a small business.

Even for restaurants that do validate, patrons sometimes will have to watch the clock. Two restaurants -- Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant and Il Fornaio Cucina -- will validate, but only for up to two hours. Clyde's of Reston doesn't validate, but offers a discount to the check equivalent to about two hours of parking.

Robert Weinhold of the Fallston Group, which represents RTC manager Boston Properties, said that parking validation is handled by individual stores on their own terms.

"Each proprietor has the option to validate parking in a way that fits within their business model preferences," he said in an email.

Paid parking will be in effect 24 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Parking will remain free on weekends, holidays and "premier events," according to RTC's website. The max daily rate is $24.

The full list of RTC restaurants and their parking validation stance is below:

YES (16 restaurants):

• Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant (2 hours)
• Bartaco
• Big Bowl
• Chipotle
• Clyde's of Reston (no validation, but a small discount will be added to the check)
• Community Canteen
• Il Fornaio Cucina (2 hours)
• Jackson's Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge
• McCormick & Schmick’s
• M&S Grill
• Mon Ami Gabi
• Morton’s The Steakhouse
• PassionFish Restaurant
• Tavern64
• Ted's Bulletin
• Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café

NO (13 restaurants):

• American Tap Room
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Busara
• Edibles Incredible
• Midtown Kabob
• Pitango and Gelato
• Potbelly Sandwich Works
• Red Velvet Cupcakery
• Starbucks
• Subway
• The Counter
• The Tasting Room Wine Bar & Shop
• World of Beer

UNDECIDED (4 restaurants):

• BRB
• Neyla
• Obi Sushi
• sweetgreen

COULD NOT BE REACHED (3 restaurants):

• IceBerry (no answer)
• Panera Bread (no answer)
• Vapiano (no answer)

Image via Reston Town Center