The Weekly Grind - June 29th, 2026 Newsletter

Critical Grind Gaming
Jun 29
4 min read

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, including her friends from Preaisle Commitment Conversations, Rooted, Fired Up Creative, Synergy Home Care, Big Frog Custom Tees, Shorewood Neighbors Magazine, & Hazel Marie's
Our Sip & Stitch Friends had a great time Wednesday morning. They would like us to remind you that ANYONE is welcome to join them on Wednesdays at 9am.
Free RPG Day was a success! We had 19 RPG sessions with 65 players (total), several people painting minis, and SO many more just enjoying the vibes and community. Thank you to all of our GMs and players who came out to make the day so much fun!!
Another fun night Saturday for Table Hogs and Blood on the Clocktower.
Love seeing the turnout for Starfinder Society on Sunday.
Our 3rd Annual Grindhouse Arena was on Sunday. As always it was a fundraiser for The Trevor Project and this year we raised over $2,000 between our players and viewer sponsors! Congratulations to Lavender for winning The Grindhouse overall!
And a special shoutout to our friend Tyler who showed up to Grindhouse Arena wearing a Critical Grind t-shirt!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

We are excited to announce that we are a part of the Southside Perks Passport this summer!

There are 15 local coffeeshops involved. It's a great way to support local this summer. A lot of businesses are struggling right now and this is an ideal opportunity to show your support.

Bean N Breek, Blissful Brew, Book Bar, Critical Grind, Electric Drip, The Emerald Cup, Espresso Palette, Folklore, Gost, Grounded, Grove, Iversen's, Krema, The Scoop, Social Butterfly, Strange Brew, Sumerce', Short & Sweet Tasty Treats, & The Living Room.

This Week's Event Highlights

This is a quick look at this week's events. And of course any day is Game Day at Critical Grind. Just stop in anytime and find your next favorite game.

Follow our newsletter and socials to never miss an event!

Every link you need to follow us is right here:

LINKTREE

SPECIAL EVENTS OF NOTE THIS WEEK:

SPECIAL PRESENTATION NIGHT - MONDAY - 7PM
BORED GAME NIGHT - TUESDAY - 6PM
SIP & STITCH - WEDNESDAY - 9AM
GAME OF TONES MUSIC BINGO - THURSDAY - 7PM
CREATOR MEETING - FRIDAY - 6PM
CLOSED SATURDAY FOR THE HOLIDAY.
CREATOR POP-UP: NOT UR MOM'S HOBBY SHOP - SUNDAY - 11AM

This Week's Events Flyers/Details

This Month's Calendar & Specials

MAY SPECIALS --

MY DOUBLE SHOT: Butter Rum Americano

THIS YEARS PINK: Irish Cream + Amaretto Matcha

BURN BOOK: Strawberry Italian Cream Soda w/ Raspberry Sweet Cold Foam

MAMMA MIA TOAST: Hummus, Tomato, Bacon Bits, Balsamic Glaze, Red Pepper Flakes, & Italian Seasoning

CANDY STORE TOAST: Peanut Butter, White & Dark Chocolate Chips, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Glitter

Please note some hours and events may change the last week of July. Gen Con will have us working at half staff.

More Special Events

We are so grateful and honored that Critical Grind will be one of the stops on Grant Lyon's Board Game Comedy Tour. Join us on Wednesday, October 7th at 7pm for an evening of comedy, board games, and community. Tickets are available on EventBrite. Reserve your seat now. Seats are very limited. Doors at 6pm. Show starts at 7pm. After the show, Grant will be hanging out and playing board games with attendees.

RPG Event Updates!

--> KIDS RPG NIGHT

How it normally works: I email the parents directly, hopefully on the Monday before Kid's RPG Night with the link for sign-ups and session descriptions. So if you are a Kid's RPG Night parent, please fill out this form. (if you haven't already)

Please remember Kid's RPG Night takes place the 2nd and 4th Fridays, GMs permitting.

--> Paizo Society Games

Pathfinder Society is played at the cafe every 1st and 3rd Friday.

Starfinder Society is played here every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

Find both those games on Warhorn or in our Discord

--> Discord Looking For Party

Join our Discord and find your next gaming group.

We play RPGs every Tuesday and Thursday, but people will plan meet-ups outside those times as well. Join our Discord and see what games are being played.

Tip: When you join, go to Rules to get verified. Then, VERY IMPORTANTLY: go to Roles-and-Info to select your interests. This is what will unlock the channels.

TCG Event Updates!

July Event Info coming up soon. - Thank you for your patience

Monthly Mini Painting Contest

Whether you're participating in our contests or just looking for a space to hang out and paint, stop by any Tuesday or Thursday for our Mini-Painting drop-in between 3pm & 8pm. $5 for all you can paint, access to our brushes, and paints, and a free figure to practice on. Or pick up additional figures for only $5 each.

Vote for our June Mini Painting Contest on our Social Medias. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will have posts with the images and video of the submissions. Comment and react to your favorite submissions to vote for them. Winner will be announced next week.