ASCENSION PARISH — A family dining at Brew-Bacher’s in Gonzales Thursday night discovered an unpleasant surprise upon returning to their cars: both vehicles were coated in a mysterious white substance.
Trydi Hano says her family initially thought it was ice covering the vehicles after last night’s chilly temperatures, but told she UWK that upon further inspection, it was a white substance resembling lime powder that had damaged the paint on their two black cars.
“The parking lot was packed, and we were sitting there, and I could see some stuff flying, but I thought it was misty rain blowing through,” Hano said. “When we walked out, I looked at my daughter’s year-old car, so it’s practically brand new. I looked and I said, ‘What’s on your car?’ and my husband was like, ‘That’s just ice.’ I said, ‘We didn’t get any ice,’ so I touched it, and it smeared.”
Hano said that her other daughter’s vehicle was also covered in the same powdery substance.
Brew Bachers in Gonzales
After returning home, Hano shared her experience on Facebook. The post has since garnered hundreds of comments and dozens of shares, with multiple people reporting similar issues after being in the area near Brew-Bacher’s.
A new Chick-fil-A is under construction next to the restaurant, and several people have speculated that the substance originated from work being done on the parking lot.
Hano said she contacted the manager of Brew-Bacher’s, who informed her that several others had also called to report the issue.
“We came home last night, freezing cold in the rain, and we’re scrubbing the car, trying to get this off, and it was just smearing it,” Hano said, explaining that the manager of Brew-Bacher’s did get in touch with the contractors building the parking lot but said she still hasn’t heard from anyone yet.
The family later took both cars to a local car wash to remove the substance and found dozens of others doing the same.
“It was just upsetting that you walk out, and your car is solid white that was once black. You think it’s misty rain when you’re looking outside, but it’s not,” Hano said.
Lime dust, often used in parking lot construction to stabilize soil, can cause corrosion and damage to a vehicle’s paint if not removed promptly.
UWK reached out to the construction company and Chick-fil-A’s media office but have not yet heard back.
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