Customers are furious after finding they’ve been fined for parking outside an OK Diner in North Wales.
The chain of nine restaurants serves 1950s US diner classics like pancake stacks, beef burgers, hot dogs and French toast, mostly for less than £15 each.
But some have been confronted with a far higher price for their visit to the Northop Hall branch in Flintshire.
As one family recently complained: ‘Breakfast for 4 people including a person in a wheelchair…. £265.’
Online reviews for the restaurant branch have nosedived in recent weeks as diners have started receiving fines for parking at the property.
Even longtime regulars are souring on the OK Diner.
Since May 1, customers must type their vehicle registration details into a tablet at the OK Diner at Northop Hall, where parking is reserved for customers.
If they don’t, they’ll receive a fine of up to £100 thanks to newly installed APNR cameras managed by Smart Parking.
But customers are complaining that they weren’t made aware of these new arrangements.
‘Who notices a parking sign on a practically empty car park somewhere you’re planning to eat?’, one person wrote in a review last week.
Another said: ‘When I arrived I was asked to take a seat, had my drink and food all good however, was not instructed to register.
‘Three weeks later £60 for stopping here. Which I have been calling in to off and on for over 20 years. Never again.’
It’s even been catching out customers who followed the procedure.
One regular, who would usually give the diner five stars, wrote: ‘I had entered my car registration but the tablet was hanging.
I was assured by the waiting staff “it will be fine it always takes a while” and was taken to my seat thinking I had done what was needed. Well clearly not as I have had a fine through for £60 or £100 if not paid within 14 days.
‘I did appeal but it’s all my fault apparently even though the staff assured me it would be fine. It’s a shame as I am local to the restaurant but it has put me off going again if this is how they treat loyal customers.’
Dafydd Lawrie, Director at OK Diner, said: ‘We introduced parking restrictions to deal with the vast issue of illegal parking in our car park, which meant at peak times leading to unavailability of spaces for our genuine customers.
‘We have had issues for years as the other big corporate businesses on site have very small car parks and drive thru’s.
‘Starbucks opening a couple of months ago was only going to escalate the issue which is why restrictions were introduced this year.
‘There are several signs in the car park and also within the restaurant telling customers of the parking restrictions.
‘To receive free parking our customers are required to sign in giving their vehicle registration number on the tablet which is located in our reception area at shoulder height next to the please wait to be seated sign.
‘In addition all team members have been trained to check that customers have entered their details into the tablet, we also have a mobile tablet for our staff to obtain customer registrations if they have not done so at the entrance.’
Lawrie claimed that every genuine customer issued a parking charge has had the fine removed, including the family who paid £265 for breakfast and fines.
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