Hexagon Board Game Cafe — Restaurant in Calgary

Myself and (most) of my group felt very unwelcome here and will likely not be returning. To be honest, I felt so unwelcome from the beginning that I would've left if not for the group I was with and their excitement to play games.

1. We went on a weekday during the day and there were literally two tables occupied with individuals on their computers, so not busy at all. The man working told us to hold on a minute while he cleaned up behind the counter for nearly 10 minutes 🙃When he finally talked to us, we advised him that we would have a larger group and he let us (very rudely) know about the policy of having to wait for half the group to be present before we got a table - no worries! But my friend is nearly 8 months pregnant so I asked if we could order a drink and sit down at the front (at a smaller table) and we were told no despite there being so much open space. If it was a weekend and busy, I would've totally understood their hesitation with letting us use a table, but I thought it was a bit much not letting us order something...in an empty cafe.

2. Knowing that there was a traffic accident and it may take awhile for half of the group to arrive, we decided to go to Higher Ground and grab a drink. Almost immediately after sitting down there, we got a call from two of our friends who WERE ABLE to get a table at Hexagon despite not having half of the group present - so back we went! The man working had such an attitude and told me and my friend (that was initially there with me) that he wasn't sure if our friends would actually arrive or not, which is why we couldn't get a table when we went and that he was surprised that all of us were a part of the same group. What!?? I'm not going to make some serious assumptions about why he thought he could trust our other friends vs us... but if you know, you know.

3. My last huge complaint is that one of our friends who came was fasting for Ramadan. Understanding Hexagon's policy of each person needing to order a drink or food item, I asked if I could order and pay for two drinks, with the understanding that one of those drinks would go towards her minimum purchase required. They were so unaccomodating and nasty about it, and refused to listen or understand my request. I truly do not understand the rudeness considering we were not asking for any policy accommodations and that the group would still be ordering the required number of items per person. We were so embarrassed that she insisted on ordering and paying for a drink, just to end the conversation and have him walk away from the table.

All this to say, this was probably the worst customer service I've ever encountered in Calgary, I truly have no idea where the hostility came from. I'm not one to complain or even bother with reviews - but if you are worried about feeling unwelcome in certain places (again if you know...you know) I would avoid Hexagon and opt for other board game cafes in the city. I've been to nearly all of them, and this was the only place I've had an...

Here's my summary before I go into detail:

1. Cafe looks nice but customer service isn't the greatest
2. They'll charge you for playing games there even if you buy games. You're better off going to another board game store where you can play and stay for free without a time limit
3. I wouldn't come back to buy board games. They label all their games with stickers so when you try to remove it, the box gets ripped (see image)

My recent visit to Hexagon left me with mixed feelings that lean more towards the negative side. My friend and I entered the store with excitement, hoping for a great board game shopping experience. While there were some positive aspects, the overall experience was marred by disappointing policies and lackluster customer service.

Initially, the store seemed promising, boasting ample space for board game enthusiasts and an impressive inventory. The variety of board games available caught our attention, and we were pleased with the vast selection on display.

However, our enthusiasm took a hit when we decided to not only purchase a board game but also spend some time playing it in the store. To our surprise, we were informed that there was a charge for using the space to play games, even if we intended to make a purchase. This policy was quite perplexing and didn't sit well with us, especially given that we were already buying a game. When I inquired further, the response confirmed that they indeed charged customers for this privilege. While I respect their business model, it left me feeling uncomfortable and disappointed.

The board game we purchased was another source of frustration. The decision to place stickers on all the boxes was baffling. When attempting to remove the stickers, they ended up damaging the box art, which was a disappointing discovery. I approached the staff to inquire about an alternative box without the sticker label, but unfortunately, they had none available as they label everything. The sticker's content, a redundant game title, only added to the irritation, considering the title was already displayed prominently on the same side of the box.

As if these issues weren't enough, even the café experience fell short. While the café area was visually appealing, the customer service was far from satisfactory. Ordering coffee turned out to be a challenge as we were never offered any cream or milk. I had to actively seek out assistance from another barista because these essentials were kept behind the counter without any...

Went in on Saturday Oct. 13th for the first time. While they had a good selection of games, the service was not okay and the food was sub-par. The staff was rude and I was met with attitude whenever I asked a question. For instance, when we had to be put on a waitlist to get a table, I asked if there was any approximate wait time. I was met with "not really people can stay as long as they want". While this may be an acceptable answer to some, I was given it with attitude and there are more professional ways to say this. Now, the thing that really made me write this review about my experience, was the drink rule. When we went in there was a sign saying that a table must purchase a drink with their time playing. Okay, understandable. I ordered a coffee, latte and cheesecake (which were okay but not great). Then 12:30 roles around and a staff member says it's last call and we need to purchase drinks. We explained that I had purchased some and another person at our table had purchased a beer. We were then told that it was a drink per person. Okay, NO WHERE on your signage does it say per person, and I think that that is a very cheap way of making profits, (and I'm not using cheap positively here). A common topic within our conversation tonight was that we would of been more inclined to purchase food/beverage if someone was going around to the tables and asking if anyone needed anything. Once you are seated you are kind of left to figure things out yourself. One drink per table is understandable and I would encourage that as a business model. However, one drink per person is egregious, and I don't think I will be coming back if that is the norm-especially with a large...