Critical    Grind

Updates: Critical Grind is a community. We are a gaming event company, yes. And over the last 4 years we've been a cafe, a community hub, a general event company, a safe space, and more. But even with the closure of 852 Sharp Dr Units L & K, in 6 days, we will still be a gaming event company, and even more importantly, we will still be a community. Our roaming gaming events are already being scheduled. Some of our regularly scheduled programs will have new homes. Partnerships

Updates: Some of this might look familiar if you've been reading these each week. If so, feel free to jump ahead to the Announcements and Events. Just because the location is closing doesn't mean we're done gaming or forming community. Critical Grind, Inc started as a gaming event company in 2018, and we will continue to do gaming events even after the cafe is closed. I'm talking to a lot of small businesses and organizations regarding using their space to bring gaming all ov

Updates: A little more clarification for you. The CAFE is closing. Critical Grind, Inc started as a gaming event company in 2018, and we will continue to do gaming events even after the cafe is closed. I'm talking to a lot of small businesses and organizations regarding using their space to bring gaming all over the community. If you have a business or organization that has room for us, let me know! I've had people ask how they can help us right now, and if there's a gofundme

Updates: Thank you all for the support that we've been receiving over the last few weeks. We still have a few weeks left of regular operations before our change to a roaming gaming business model. This next part might look familiar if you read last week's email. I'm updating a few things and reiterating a couple things that may have been confusing. Here's what we do know: We're selling some of our game library, art, furniture, equipment, and other items. Others will be put in

A Personal Note from Dana: Well friends, I'm a couple weeks behind with this newsletter but we're here now. It's possible you may have already heard that Critical Grind's Board Game Cafe will be closing. Our last day of operations is Sunday, October 25th. This was not a decision we made, but one made for us, by the current state of the economy, a lack of sales, and an expiring lease. We are sad to leave our space, but we are not done bringing community together. Critical Grin

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: We officially have an app!! Scan the QR Code or search "Critical Grind" in your preferred play store. Log-In with your victory points phone number. Turn on Notifications for promotions and future discounts. You can use the app to order for pick-up or order drinks & toast directly to your table while you play. PHOTO DROP HIGHLIGHTS Want to see your photos here? Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: We had some fun events this week. Great turnout for our Friday Night TCG Open Play! A lot of fun board games and RPG sessions this weekend. We officially have an app!! Scan the QR Code or search "Critical Grind" in your preffered play store. Log-In with your victory points phone number. Turn on Notifications for promotions and future discounts. You can use the app to order for pick-up or order drinks & toast directly to your table while you play. PHOTO

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Dana Here! I posted a video on Sunday to our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The shorted version is, Critical Grind is going through some ownership changes and I get to make some operational changes. We will no longer be selling trading card games. Our Monday and Friday Open Play TCG nights will continue, and there will be no more tournaments. We are casual play only. We are surrounded by a lot of TCG stores and honestly, we create better community wi

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. We've got new games for sale! These are some of our favorites from Gen Con! Purchase a copy of Tinderblox or Bookshelf and get an enamel pin with your purchase! Local board game designer, Darin Krol, stopped by and showed me his game One of a Kind. He'll be here Sunday, September 27th demoing it for you all, so come join us that

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. Ash, Dana, and Rudy spent the week in Indianapolis for Gen Con gaming convention. Ky, Rubix, and Sean stayed back at the cafe to be open for all of you! Sainan Books and Wolf Den Gaming joined us on Sunday for a creator Pop-Up! Shaun & Saphira braved the storms at Shorewood Crossroads Fest. Shoutout to our cafe friends we ran in

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. LAST CHANCE to bring in new, unwrapped toys for the annual Christmas in July Toy Drive with the Shorewood Kiwanis. Thank you to Theatre 319 from Plainfield for coming out to tell us about their upcoming production of Puffs and their theater workshops. Some players, families, and painters having a great time this weekend. Thank y

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Bring in new, unwrapped toys for the annual Christmas in July Toy Drive with the Shorewood Kiwanis. Friday was crazy busy! We had the Lorcana Prerelease, 2 Pathfinder Society tables, 3 RPG reservations, a big creator group, some Magic players, and we had t

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Bring in new, unwrapped toys for the annual Christmas in July Toy Drive with the Shorewood Kiwanis. Don't forget you can always order any of our toasts on Gluten Free Bread. We're currently taking pre-orders for the new Daggerheart book, Hope & Fear, comin

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Not a lot of photos this week. Feel free to send in your favorite Critical Grind moments in our discord channel # photo-drop. Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Bring in new, unwrapped toys for the annual Christmas in July Toy Drive with the Shorewood Kiwanis. Pick up your copy of Flip 7 today! Keep an eye out for our next After Hours event, July 15th. A Paint Class workshop. Shoutout to our friend Lindsey from No

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe & in the community! Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Our dear friend and player, Nick V is a talented woodworker and he surprised Dana to tears with his very generous gift of a handmade gaming table. (Please use a coaster!) Dana got to be around 30+ women entrepreneurs this past week at the She Means Business Luncheon at JJC, inclu

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe & in the community! Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Dana and Shaun spent some time at Origins Game Convention this past week. Even ran into a familiar face or two. Brought home a few new games for the library. Kid's Summer D&D Club is a hit with our Wednesday crews. Still a little room to sign up for July. We always love seeing ou

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe & in the community! Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! The storms brought in some beautiful skies Kid's D&D Summer Club kicked off this past week. There is still room to sign up for the July Sessions. Ky got to play Tea Witches with Lavender and their cousin visiting from Arizona! Ash got silly with the selfies and experimented with

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe & in the community! Check out our favorite Lemonade flavors for the summer, or make your own! Good turnout for Game of Tones, Music Bingo. Save the date for the next one, July 2nd. Dana had a table at the Plainfield Cruise Nights. Those run every Tuesday through August. We'll be back July 14th & August 18th. Thank you everyone who came out to the Magic Pride Night tournam

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe. We had a fun RPG Night this passed week. Fabulous Bingo was a hit, raising money for Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center We had a birthday celebration with a Daggerheart cake. Book Bedazzling went great for our May after hours. We are introducing a new Smoothie flavor for the summer, Tropical!! ANNOUNCEMENTS: We are excited to announce that we are a part of the Southside Perks

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Here are some great photos we got from the last week of goings on around the cafe. Dana and some regulars to to learn some new games RPG Night saw quite a bit of Daggerheart action Friday Night we had some fun with Magic Players, RPG players, Kid's RPG Night, Creator Meetup AND a Lorcana Tournament. Congratulations to Sean for getting first place and pulling an enchanted from one of the prize packs. Ky experimented with a new smoothie flavor. Banana Sm