FTW Chicago — Restaurant in Chicago

Our family, including siblings, elderly parents and young children (ages 5 & 7) decided to go to the games area as a family after dinner – something to enjoy with the young ones and the older parents before the new year’s eve rush kicked in. We arrived around 7:45pm-ish. Many of the games weren’t working properly. The connect four was only working on the red portion, the skeeball games and another wasn’t counting the points properly, the table hockey for 4 people froze in the middle of the game, etc etc. We thought it would be best to let the manager or a worker know what was happening, so they can either fix the issue or put an “out of order” sign so other kids wouldn’t waste their points on those games. We must have hit a cord with one too many “this game doesn’t work properly” because the manager snapped. Instead of dealing with us nicely or even in a civil manner, he started to push us out saying “9pm it’s only 21 and older so you all have to leave now.” Mind it, it was only around 8:25 at that point. We said there’s still a lot of time left for our kids to play and we have over 700 points still left on the card. We also explained that had the girl at the front desk mentioned something about the 9pm limit, we wouldn’t have bought so much and planned accordingly.” The manager then kept arguing in a very LOUD and rude manner to cause a scene saying that he knows the girl at the front told us – We asked him why we would lie about such a thing since he wasn’t even around at the time we entered – and he kept arguing. At one point, I think my mom even smelled beer on him….he just became a very angry man and started swearing and literally pushing us out. I kept telling him there are children around and he should mind his language and that we’re leaving, but he didn’t want to listen to me – instead, he called for other workers (assuming bouncers, although I can’t imagine bouncers needed for a place or time where young children are around), and they kept physically pushing us out, all of us, me, my mom, my brother, my dad, my husband….thankfully our kids hid behind my sister. We kept saying stop pushing us, we’re leaving, stop touching us, stop swearing there are children around – but the manager wouldn’t listen, instead, he picked on my brother to focus on. As they physically kept pushing us out, the manager then continued to instigate by saying things to my brother like “your sister has more balls than you, I’d like to see her in action”. Who says things like that to family people with young children round watching, especially when they’re leaving – doing what you wanted? That was really uncalled for. Of course, it seemed obvious that the manager just wanted to literally start a fight. No man, brother or husband, would accept that kind of talk about the women of the family, and the fight started. However, as peaceful as we were trying to be, at one point, there were around 4-5 of the “bouncers” and the manager all kicking and punching my brother while he was on the floor. Our children are traumatized and don’t ever want to go to ANY arcade game again – they were scared to death as they watched their dad and uncle get abused like that in front of our family, our kids, other families and other children watching. To top it off, after we finally all broke up the fight, and as my family went down the escalator, away from it out – AGAIN the manager instigated, calling out things over the railing loudly saying “Tell your sister I’ll be there to pick her up at 2am! She’s got more balls than you and I’d like to enjoy her! Tell her I’ll be there at 2am!” If we have left, WHY do you need to shout MORE instigating disrespectful things to my family like that? Is that how you handle even the good family folks that come to the arcade? ...

When we asked for our check for food and drinks, they didn’t present a receipt; they simply told me the total and arrived with a tablet. It wasn’t until after I asked for a receipt that it was texted to me, which you can only get after the payment had already gone through. That’s when I realized an 18% service charge had already been added to my tab, even though the waiter had still asked me to tip on top of that.

I have no issue paying a service charge for a large party, that’s expected. But the staff should be honest and transparent about it, not ask for more without mentioning the charge was already included. Most customers wouldn’t know unless they specifically ask for a receipt, if they can even get one.

This doesn’t feel like an honest mistake, it feels like a tactic. Since the extra tip is calculated on a total that includes the 18% service charge, a 20% tip actually ends up being closer to 23–24%, and when combined, you’re tipping over 40%. That’s just not right.

To make things worse, the bowling lane we were assigned had a malfunction where it randomly skipped the second throw in a turn, counting a single roll as a full turn and moving to the next player. It happened six times during one full game for our group of six. They eventually moved us to a working lane, but it’s an inconvenience and interrupts your game flow, and your time you paid.

I spoke with the manager at the end, Ivan, who said he would process a refund for the duplicate tip but only asked for my name and email, he said he couldn’t process it on the spot, which sounds like bs, but whatever I will update once I receive my refund. One thing for sure is I won’t be coming back and I’ve been at this location many times.

I hope management takes this seriously. It’s not just unprofessional, it’s dishonest and careless.

EDIT 6/17/25 they refunded me the...

Nice looking place but WAY overpriced!! Our service was ABSOLUTELY AWFUL!! We had a group of 15. They brought our food out at all different times. The 1st person who ordered got her food next to last. She had a simple order. 3 people never even got their food. We asked what was going on but our server kept responding "let me check" then never came back with any answers. The server and service was SO BAD we asked to speak to the manager. When we told her of the ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE we were having here and that this was our 1st time here she was very shocked to hear this. She was very apologetic and accommodating. When we told her who our server was and those who were "helping her" the manager said she would take them to the side and "Deal with them" in that "Momma tone". Without the missing 3 meals that never got served, our bill would have been almost $300. With it the bill would have been closer to $400. When the manager finished adjusting our bill, minus those 3 meals, it was less than a 10th of our total bill. I believe it was like $26 and some change. Although I fully appreciate ALL that the Manger did for us, that experience put a REAL BAD taste in my mouth. I don't pay for bad service nor do I want my time wasted and especially my patronage not appreciated. THAT'S how they made us feel. With as much money as they charge and the large group we brought, they should have been thrilled to see us. More money for them. Exceptional service should be what EVERY patron recieve. That is clearly NOT the case there!! I'll probably never go back. VERY...