Comedy Vault — Restaurant in Batavia Township

I'm writing to inform you of your obligations under ADA Title III and the Illinois Human Rights Act as well as reaching out to express my disappointment for your accessibility and for my experience at the Ben Bailey show. My dad had contacted you on 12/26 regarding accessible accommodations for the 1/22 show. The email communication was great, it looked like everything was under control, and yet I still called and left a message 1-2 days before the show with no response.

When we arrived at the show, which is in an inaccessible building, we were met with confusion and workers who acted incompetent, leaving a growing line of people behind us, as I was halfway in the entryway with people in front and behind just staring and glaring for the ridiculous amount of time we had to wait for the staff. Their response to us was uncomfortable and awkward. We showed the email proof that we had written previously, and yet we just kept getting the run around. It was like I was the first handciap person they had encountered, which makes sense since your venue is, at worse, not compliant with ADA laws, and at best, not friendly and welcoming to people with disabilities.

When the incompetent and unfriendly staff showed us their "solution," I actually laughed. It was in the back corner by the trash cans. My party took matters into their own hands to set ourselves so I could enjoy the show that we paid for with dignity.

I'll cite some of the violations below for your convenience:

ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010)

Entrance & Seating: There must be an accessible entrance, and a reasonable number of wheelchair-accessible seating areas with comparable sightlines.

Pathways & Bathrooms: There must be an accessible path of travel throughout the venue, including restrooms and any service areas.

I was given instruction to cross the very busy, large Main Street should I need to use the washroom. On a negative 7 degree day in a snowstorm, it was bad enough to not have safe or accessible parking, but I was then expected to completely leave a show I paid for to go across the street?

While I understand and appreciate that Comedy Vault resides in an historic building, it doesn't excuse the abhorent treatment inside the venue nor does it completely cover your exterior barriers. Historic buildings are not automatically exempt from providing accessible entry under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but I understand and appreciate that you do have some flexibility. While the exterior entrance wasn't the main issue for me because I had the forsight to bring multiple mobility aids because I can never count on a venue to actually be accommodating, the across the street bathroom option was laughable. The treatment inside the facility was laughable. I deserved to be treated with dignity and respect and instead was met with a venue that operates breaking the law with...

Been coming here since its inception and never had a problem until tonight. Well a few problems. First, doors were at 6, and nobody was let in until 6:25? Massive line standing outside in the cold for half an hour.

The real issue was this. My fiancé had an emergency at home, and I received a few texts on my Apple Watch regarding said emergency. I took my phone out to address it, took no less than 60 seconds to send her a text back, and a half second later a younger shorter woman comes over and tells me it’s their policy for no phones and that’s my “warning”. She goes on to say “it is posted all over the venue and online”. Well, after the show I looked around the venue and saw signs that say “No Photography, Recording, or Videotaping” well news flash, I wasn’t doing any of those things. So out of curiosity I went to their website and checked there for a “no phones policy”, and yet I still didn’t see one. Still just no “Photography, Recording, or Videotaping”, and again I was doing none of this. My phone was discreetly in my lap fully silenced with brightness turned all the way down for maybe 60 seconds while I addressed the emergency at home. How about a little understanding? I want to reiterate that I have full respect for the artist and wouldn’t disrespect them by texting through their show. We all paid to be there, no? However, if there is an emergency then I’m going to address it.

Additionally, there is a no re-entry policy which I understand for safety concerns, but if somebody has an emergency then how is it supposed to be handled? Where do you go for this? Do I just ignore my fiancé?

My last bit since I’m already writing the review but the handling of giving out checks is not convenient by any means. Everybody is standing there waiting to leave as the servers try and hand out receipts all while running all over the room. After all time this club has been opened they have yet to narrow this process down. Most of the other clubs in the Chicagoland area (Zanies Rosemont & Chicago, Chicago Improv, The Den) have the tabs closed out as the comedians are finishing so there isn’t much lag between the show ending and leaving. This would be huge if they could figure this one out, as it’s always the worst part of leaving this club.

Love the talent they book, and it’s not the talents fault. Staff just needs to get on the same page regarding policies and maybe address the closing tabs process.

If you want no phones period then say no phones period, but offer an alternative for people who may have...

If your business model involves deceptively requiring people to pay more for two drinks than they spend on a ticket or be removed, especially when menu prices are hidden on the site, you should not be in business. Not sure if they expect people to know what “two item minimum in the showroom” means on the site; I looked around on the purchase page and assumed that was a requirement to purchase 2 or more tickets as there wasn’t more clarification. Not sure if this is seen as normal and understood in Illinois, been to many different shows, comedy and otherwise, all over the country and have never had an experience that would have given me knowledge to understand that meant anything else.

I would love to support a small business, but no one should be paying $60-70 for a show here. It’s an overcrowded room crammed with terrible chairs, it’s not a luxe comedy club experience.

I laughingly told a server that even if I wanted a $17 Jack and coke, I wouldn’t have anywhere to put it since they crammed me so tight into a corner with strangers that I couldn’t reach a table to put it on (and my view was mostly curtain, see pic). I had to slide across several people’s laps to even get to the chair then climb over the back of it to sit down. I let her know that if that really was a policy they stood by I’d leave without any fuss, I’ll never cause problems for customer service workers over employers’ policies. She told me she’d go ask, and instead of coming back to let me know that yes, that was the case, she instead had a massive security guard come and tell me I needed to leave immediately.

I’m a petite 5 foot tall woman who works with rescue dogs too traumatized to be groomed or trained in traditional set ups, if I had a temper or wasn’t aware of exactly how I was emoting at all times I wouldn’t be able to do my job. I was calm, friendly, and clearly not any sort of threat, but was met with intimidation and aggression.

Really embarrassing behavior on all fronts from Comedy Vault, never experienced anything like this before.

Edit: Given all the reports of even MORE hidden fees and fraudulent charges in the reviews here, I’m very glad I walked out before giving them my...