I ate at Cheeburger Cheeburger Tuesday night, parked in their parking lot, and went out to find that my car had been towed. Now the towing company expects me to pay $150 to get my car.
Apparently, the watchdogs that monitor the parking lot saw me walk in front of the restaurant next door before I went into Cheeburger Cheeburger to eat. Now they are saying that I “intended” to eat at the other place and that is why my car was towed and that justifies them charging me to get my car back. How can they know what my intentions were and if they did know, how is that even relevant?
I spent my money at Cheeburger Cheeburger and have a receipt to prove it. Actually, I didn’t have a receipt until the police officer who came to take my report asked me if I had one. Then and only then, the restaurant manager produced my receipt.
For three hours, I didn’t even know where my car was; the tow truck driver wouldn’t answer his phone or return the many messages that were left by me and the restaurant manager.
I have sent a Facebook message to Mr. Charlie Eich regarding the situation, and have yet to hear from him. I will be consulting an attorney this morning. In the meantime, I would suggest to anyone considering eating there, unless you want your car stolen and held hostage, go to Krystal.
Clara Hoffman
Chattanooga
* * *
Ms. Hoffman,
You have already found your answer. You should report it stolen, and press charges to the fullest extent.
I have no problem with the owner of the parking lot playing hard ball about people parking there who aren’t his customers, as long as he is willing to deal with the consequences when they make a mistake. The old saying, “Turn about is fair play.” most certainly applies in your case.
Stephen Mapes
Chattanooga
* * *
I feel your pain, Ms. Hoffman. However, my cost was $205. I see that you contacted a "Charlie Eich". Funny, my receipt from the tow company was signed by "Jacob Eich". Coincidence?
Kim Smith
Signal Mountain
* * *
Maybe you should send him a tweet before lawyering up.
Matt Pollard
Chattanooga
* * *
The whole story includes some facts not mentioned by Ms. Clara Hoffman. After parking her car in the lots with 25 signs advising people they will be towed if not visiting a business that leases said lot, she walked directly into Buffalo Wild Wings.
Ms. Hoffman, who I just got off the phone, told me she just “looked toward” Buffalo Wild Wings, and then changed her story to “I just walked in to look for a friend who eats there every Tuesday Night.”
From our perspective, we saw yet another person disregarding all signage to go eat 25-cent wings. It would have been nice of her to include all of the facts on here as well as her letter to Cheeburger Corporate and her Facebook post.
We did not charge her for the wrecker fee.
This issue will continue to be costly as long as people continue to ignore the signage. Hopefully what was intended to be bad PR here on the Chattanoogan.com will help spread the word that the owners of Cheeburger Cheeburger & Genghis Grill care about their customers and are trying to save a parking spot for them.
Charlie Eich
Owner Cheeburger Cheeburger
* * *
Parking has been an issue for downtown in general for a while. I like Cheeburger Cheeburger, but the location, size of the eating area and parking consist of all the reasons I can't remember when I went there last. Merv's at the foot of Signal has better burgers anyways, but no milk shakes.
If what Kim S. stated is true that the owner of Cheeburger Cheeburger has a relative on standby to make tows that changes things a bit. If that is the case, it's disturbing that it took three hours to get the Ms. Hoffman's car returned. Glad they refunded your money, but it's not good to have lost three hours of your time though. Towing continues to be a shady business in the Chattanooga area.
Now that I think about how long it's been since I've been to Cheeburger Cheeburger I might have to make a visit for a burger and shake. So negative PR or not you might gain at least one sale, Mr. Eich. I'll just be careful where I park.
Chris Sanders
Hixson
* * *
Charlie, the fact that you stalk your customers is disturbing to me. Everyone knows the lots are abused at times but who cares if she walked past, into or on the roof of the restaurant next door for a minute or two? Fact of the matter is, she has a receipt from Cheeburger Cheeburger and was entitled to park where she did.
You want to play dirty with an actual customer and put her down for the bad press. Maybe you need to think realistically about jumping to conclusions or being impatient next time and how it might come back to bite you. Admitting you are wrong and apologizing might be a good place to start.
I'm glad she got her car back and no money was charged, but I commend her for not letting this go. That had to be a huge inconvenience when she wasn't in the wrong - you and the towing company were.
Carrie McGaffic
Red Bank
* * *
I used to enjoy eating at Cheeburger-Cheeburger or as I call it now
"Towburger-Towburger". Sorry but you should find a better way to police your parking spaces. Put up a fence between the properties, get a parking attendant, or move to another location.
Do something else or sit back and enjoy being beaten up at the cash register and in the media. I certainly won't eat at your establishment again.
I enjoy dining out, but my dollars wont be spent eating an over-priced
cheeseburger while I wonder if my car is being towed.
As my late father said when he whipped me for doing the wrong thing, "You brought this on yourself."
Harry T. Stone
* * *
I am a manager for Cheeburger Cheeburger. It is as simple as this: if we don’t tow people we don’t have parking for our customers. If we don’t have parking we don’t have customers; If we don’t have customers, I don’t have a job.
We really do care and don’t want to cause anybody harm. Just quit parking in our customers’ spaces.
This lady who was towed told my co-worker who was managing Tuesday night she did go to another restaurant but they were full so she walked next door to Cheeburger. Her intentions were to park here and eat there. We got it worked out for her.
It was unfortunate, but not all our fault. What would you do?
Brannon Mays
* * *
While I have never eaten at this restaurant, I have eaten at 212 Market Street where they provide a parking area for their customers without the need to spy on those parking in this lot.
I have also parked at Beuhler's Market in the evenings for $5. I have even planned ahead by calling Beuhler's and asking them to hold a space for me.
Merle Goffigan
* * *
This parking lot is one of the few free ones downtown, and I think it's great that Cheeburger Cheeburger, Genghis Grill and The Murder Mystery Show watch over the lot for their customers to come enjoy this facility.
Because it is a free lot it's obviously going to be taken advantage of by dishonest people who try to sneak in to save $5 that they would be charged in a Republic Parking lot. I would much rather
know that my car was safe from being towed rather than paying $250 to get it out of a tow yard. Although it may be pricey for the tow company, these three restaurants give out a fair warning with 25 signs in their small parking lot. I've been there many
times and you can't miss these signs throughout the lot. Even at night the ones posted along the side of Buffalo Wild Wings are illuminated.
These restaurants are great and I will still continue to visit them.
Adam Castleberry
Chattanooga
* * *
I have known my friend Charlie Eich for 10 years. He is a hard working honest business owner and from what I can gather from all the opinions expressed thus far there seems to be a lot of vindictive behavior going on here.
I realize that parking downtown is a problem at certain times, but attacking (verbally of course) a businessman for protecting parking spaces that are intended for his customers and is plainly posted as such is wrong.
I think it would be only fair to try to look at this from Mr Eich's point of view and try to bring some sense of fair play here. In my opinion this all could have been avoided if Ms. Hoffman had simply stepped inside Cheeburger Cheeburger and let management know that she was just going to check on her friend in another restaurant before coming back to dine with them if in fact this was what she intended to do.
Charlie in good faith it appears took care of the towing charges and the fact that Ms. Hoffman had to wait a few hours for her car to be returned is a consequence of what appears to me to be poor judgement on her part in the first place. No doubt this incident made her angry and frustrated, but please don't give a good man trying to do the right thing a black eye (figuratively) for rightfully protecting the parking spaces intended for his customers
Mike Fleischmann
Ooltewah
* * *
It seems there is an issue where the person who was towed decided to use a little extra time outside of Cheeburger. So she has a receipt. You can't park in a designated parking area for an extended amount of time, the visit the owner's establishment for 15 minutes. It doesn't work that way. To me, it seems like she was just trying to squeeze out some free parking and got busted.
And does it matter if the towing agency is a relative? If you choose to break the rules, you choose to accept the consequences. It's that simple.
I love Cheeburger and the owner and staff have always gone above and beyond to make me feel valued. I will not discontinue my patronage because someone violated posted parking restrictions and can't handle the consequences. This lady doesn't need an attorney, she needs a Teddy Bear to cry with.
Lance Woods
* * *
I can empathize with Ms. Hoffman. Until Chattanooga rips its parking meters from the curb like some other cities, we’ll have scarce parking and tow-happy lots.
In the meantime, I encourage her to sample a better hamburger while enjoying hassle-free parking at Zarzour’s Café. Not only is Zarzour’s recognized as one of the best 100 burger spots in America, they charge a lot less than Cheeburger Cheeburger, and your car will be outside when you leave.
Tom Charles
* * *
This isn't about your favorite hamburger. It's about a guy that tries his hardest to make sure his customers have a place to park. I admire his moxie and tenaciousness. I especially enjoy how the original letter writer failed to mention the first place they went in: Buffalo Wild Wings. Oops.
I've eaten at Cheeburger-Cheeburger and had a good burger and great onion rings and good service. Sometimes I park on the street down a few blocks and get a good walk in at the same time.
As good as Zarzour's burger may be, you still gotta eat there before 2pm.
Me, I'm at work.
Herb Montgomery
Herbm55@yahoo.com
* * *
The above incident, and all that followed, is exactly why I stay in Hixson, and eat a better burger, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and enjoy no hassle parking, among other things...
Downtown is too much of a hassle...
Chris Grant
Hixson
* * *
I have a solution, stay away from downtown. There is nothing there that makes it worth the hassle, kind of like staying out of Red Bank because of the cameras. It just is not worth it.
Joe Blevins
Guild, Tn
* * *
I have a simple solution for the whole debacle. Obey posted signs in parking lots and traffic laws everywhere you go.
In addition to that no-brainer, if you saw the kitchens in some of the restaurants (not targeting anyone with that) you eat at, you would eat at home - imagine all the money, time
and frustration that could be saved.
Ted Ladd
* * *
I know that being towed can be frustrating. I have only eaten at Cheeburger Cheeburger one time. I had a difficult time finding a parking space but finally found one down the street. Most restaurants downtown have this same parking issue. If you look at this from a business perspective than you would value and understand that parking is valuable to these companies.
Going to a lawyer is pretty extreme when you are looking at a $150-$200 tow bill. The owner reserves the right to save his parking for paying customers. Obviously they have signs posted and should be taken seriously. You can't miss the signage.
Would you be upset if you were speeding and received a ticket? I would be, but not with the officer. If you break the law knowing that you are taking a chance to be towed than pay the fine and obey the law.
Sounds like the owner resolved the issue. Pretty fair guy in my book.
Jeffery Melton