The Big House — Local services in Tavares

update 2 Big House owner: Thank you for your reply. I was hoping you would reply and show the arrogance and lack of accountability I was confronted with. Since your reply was filled with many false statements lets inject some facts into your reply. Yes, I was in fact "confronted by management". I was in fact called and invited to come to the front to speak with the Site Director. Who then confronted me with me with a printout of my complaint and went line by line rejecting and minimizing my concerns. I don’t know about FEVA and don’t speak on their behalf; they continue to be a great club. I am only a concerned parent who wants to ensure no other athlete is forced to endure this sham of a venue. Facial Recognition is mandatory, as you just explained, for all online tickets (something I pointed out in my review, maybe re-read that portion), something that was never explained to us, but I understand that may have been difficult for the staff while they were yelling orders and funneling us in like livestock. I did ask if the facial recognition was mandatory and they said yes, emphatically, without providing an option to purchase tickets at the gate. Interestingly, you didn’t dispute that the facial ID is being monitored by “a team of personnel out of state” …seems like an issue, but I wouldn’t want to address that either. Yes, there was no room for spectators. I guess all the people standing were doing so for our health, or did we lie about that to? 50-75 chairs at each court?!? You must be using the metric system because your numbers are off by 20-30. I did go out to eat, but due to the rigorous schedule I was in fact forced to eat the terrible food with no healthy options for the athletes. There is a difference between a bag check and invasive search specifically searching for snacks….as was stated by your employees, you may have forgot to mention that. No one was smuggling in volleyballs, but a snack between games seems reasonable, but it makes sense to take those from children. This is a bold face lie, in fact I suggested to your “Site Manager” to provide water bottles since you are refusing them in the venue, she laughed and said we don’t do that. I personally watched dozens of people returning their kids/athletes water bottles to their vehicles and then having to buy some inside because the fountains were useless given that we had our water containers denied entrance. It is a provable lie that you did not provide free water bottles, but after reading this reply, I wouldn’t expect truth or facts. Your petty attempt to belittle me further proves the unprofessional and callous nature in which you view your customers. Poor attempt but thank you for demonstrating your true character. You protect your courts at the expense of the athletes, not for, don’t get it confused. Oh no, I said I was going to report you to the wrong organization, that obviously negates and invalidates everything I experienced. What your forgot to mention was that after viewing the 8” x 11” paper with a 5”x5” black and white printout of prohibited items she showed me I agreed that it was in fact there. However, I also mentioned how implausibly small it was given that there were 50-80 people trying to come through one door, I must have missed that. What is abundantly clear from my in-person interactions and this reply demonstrate you have a complete disregard for athletes’ safety (by taking their water and snacks) and discriminating against those that can’t afford to buy water bottles. My only hope is that this review, along with the dozens of other reviews stating the EXACT same complaints I have highlighted, will motivate future event coordinators to choose a venue that is athlete and spectator friendly and not a money grabbing privacy violation. Please don’t take my word for it, read all the reviews stating the EXACT same thing, you can lie in your reply but unfortunately for you, the Google reviews are still posted. I hope you find happiness in belittling customers while exploiting...

Let us not mince words, this place has a lot of potential, but I believe needs some work in a few key areas. For starters, the whole process of getting in is inefficient. The facial recognition works wells, but the line was through the parking lot and staff seemed more concerned about checking for water bottles and other “contraband” as if they were TSA looking for explosives than they were about the hundred people waiting outside in the 40 degree cold front Florida experienced today. Some of the staff were very polite while others yelled in a borderline condescending manner at the athletes and parents. I get they were trying to make themselves and the instructions heard, but at times there was an annoyed tone and was not representative of how patrons should be welcomed.

When you get inside, you will see that the establishment is very clean, especially the playing area. You can tell they take pride in the venue, and that earns them stars just for that. That being said, the lighting inside is poor. The sun beams through the windows in random spots onto the center of the court, sometimes in the players eyes, however without the sun, the lighting would be even worse. The court makes it appear as if they haven’t turned on the lights yet, despite them being on. Looking at the ceiling, I could see that a couple bulbs in the overhead lights were out, which did not help.

The Big House, let’s be real, for the most part, no one really cares about your restaurant license or the existence of it in your venue. No one is going to the Big House just to grab a meal and leave. Calling it a restaurant in the first place is a stretch. The place seems to sell the same overpriced junk food you’d find in most similar venues. I’ve seen a representative reply to other reviews that we don’t “have to” dine at the Big House and can go elsewhere. I feel there is an aura of smugness in such a response to legitimate complaints. First of all, most of the events start early in the morning and many athletes are traveling from hours away, thus stopping at another eating establishment to have the athlete get a nutritious meal is not always possible at that time, hence why parents bring healthy snacks with them. Still, the quality and price of the food is about the same as every other venue we have been to.

That being said, unlike the Big House, no other venue we’ve visited in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, or Lake County has ever refused to allow players to bring in drinks and snacks, much less water! God forbid players bring their own water. You’ll have to buy bottle after bottle inside from Big House itself.

The staff patrols the courts like soldiers and will try to tell you no outside water bottles because the wood floors can’t handle it, but apparently the floor can distinguish between reusable water bottles we bring in and any spills from the bottled waters they sell, which somehow magically can’t damage the wood floor. As for the snacks and other food, sure, people can be messy and the maple wood floor is nice, I get that, but that’s what sweeping and cleaning is for and what almost all of the other venues do.

Big House, i suggest you listen to the feedback you have repeatedly received. You say there are other establishments to go to, great. So get rid of your restaurant license and close your “cafe” and let players bring in their own water and snacks, especially if they have dietary restrictions. You likely won’t because it’s an excuse and it’s a money grab. I’m all for capitalism and businesses thriving, but the tactics in this place take it into a territory that I believe unnecessarily puts revenue over athletes and parents.

All in all, this likely won’t change because they don’t have to…yet, but if they keep alienating enough parents and athletes, eventually people will seek out other alternatives and the “big house” will be a whole...

I wanted to share an unpleasant experiences I have experienced with Gigi Lemon, CFO. My daughter particpated in the Big House Fall Series tournament in December 2020 and I was charged for 2 tickets to enter this 2day tournament held in December. The issue was that I purchased one ticket through whichever 3rd party system the Big House website directed me to. I never received an email confirmation for the first ticket but the $12 charge was taken from my bank account. I had to purchase a second ticket which I did receive an email confirmation.

When I arrived on the day of the tournament, the first thing I did was ask to speak to whomever was in charge of paymnet issues. I was directed to Gigi Lemon. I explained to Gigi what my issue was and the issue I had with ticket purchasing systemn not emailing my first ticket confirmation. She was able to confirm that there were 2 tickets under my name and she actually printed out the 2 tickets that I got charged for but I only needed one for the last day of the tournament. I explained that I would not use the 2nd ticket and I requested a refund. At the time of the tournament she looked at me and explained how busy was but she would take care of this conceren of mine. I understood how busy she was at the time and I was ok with her word that I would get a refund but it would not be immedidately. At no point in time did she give me the impression that I would not get my refund. She did mention that it may take a couple of weeks. I was ok waiting since my daughter would not return to the Big House for anymore tournaments, I would not be able to use the extra ticket for a future event.

I followed up 2 weeks later with a phone call. I spoke to Acara (recpetionist) and Acara was pleasant and I explained the nature of my call for Gigi. Acara took down my number and said Gigi would call me back. Another 2 weeks passed and I had not heard back from GigI. I make another call and speak to Acara once again and the same thing took place, Acara took down my number and relayed the message to Gigi for a call back. After my second call to speak to Gigi Lemon, I was getting the feeling that I was never going to hear from Gigi Lemon or get my refund back but I remained optimistic. 5 weeks later, I place another call and once again I talk to Acara and she says that Gigi is in a meeting so i asked to be placed on hold. I was on hold for an hour and 15 minutes before Acara came bak to tell me that Gigi told her that there is no refund. I cant say that I was surprised by that response. It just shows the lack of profesionalism and respect that Gigi Lemon has to look at me and say that I would get a refund but then doesnt even have the decency to call me back and explain to me why she said I would get a refund then 5 weeks later, she has someone else do her work for her and tell me to forget about the refund.

I want to make sure that everyone is aware of how easy it was for Gigi Lemon to take my money and have no remorse about it. It is very disheartening at how she conducts her business and during these times where we are all are struggling, it just goes to show you that Gig Lemon is not of someone with any morals or very little values. I hope those $12 went to stuffing her nice fat CFO paycheck and I will be sure the club that that my daughter is part of reconsiders any future topurnaments at the Big House as long as Gigi Lemon is in charge. Thank you Gigi Lemon for alowing me to use you as an example for my daughter of what not to do others. Im sure Karma will make this all balance...