The Weekly Grind - May 25th, 2026 Newsletter

Critical Grind Gaming
2 hours ago
4 min read

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 Smoothie, Chocolate Sauce, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Chips. You can expect to see that in a future specials list.
Thank you to everyone who came out to Joliet Pride's Gayme Night on Thursday.

And a very special thank yout o all of our authors and guests who came out to the Spring Local Author Book Fair on Saturday.

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.

SAVE THE DATES!

This Wednesday, May 27th will be our Unlocked After Hours event. Bedazzle a Book! $35/person. All supplies and instruction included + a cafe beverage. Bring Your Own Book. Bring Your Own Beverage for 21+ only. Must have valid ID.
Sunday, June 7th is our All-Ages Storytime & Variety Show. From 10am to 11am our lovely queens will be reading stories and give family friendly performances. We'll also have coloring sheets available. Then from 12pm to 3pm we'll have a Variety Show that will include comedic lip-syncing and dancing performances, poetry, and more.... with a Karaoke After Party to follow. (Storytime is Free with cafe purchase. Variety Show is Free to anyone 15 & under with cafe purchase, and $10 for ages 16 & up)
Saturday, June 27th is Free RPG Day. (More details will be listed below.)
Sunday, June 28th is our 3rd Annual Grindhouse Arena D&D Grand Melee Tournament Fundraiser. (More details listed below.)

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:

LGBTQ+ FABULOUS BINGO - MONDAY - 7PM
BORED GAME NIGHT - TUESDAY - 6PM
SIT & STITCH - WEDNESDAY - 9AM
UNLOCKED AFTER HOURS: BOOK BEDAZZLING - WEDNESDAY - 6PM
BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER - SATURDAY - 6PM
CLOSING AT 4PM - SUNDAY

This Week's Events Flyers/Details

This Month's Calendar & Specials

MAY SPECIALS --

DRINK ME: Italian Soda w/ Cucumber Syrup, Fresh Mint, & Blueberry Cold Foam

JABBERWOCKY JUICE: Watermelon Cucumber Mint Refresher w/Lime Syrup & Sparkling Water

TWEEDLE TWINS REFRESHER: Strawberry Acai Refresher w/Ginger Lemongrass Iced Tea

QUEEN OF TARTS TOAST: Mixed Berry Jam, Palmier Cookie, & Sugar Crystals

PINKY'S UP TOAST: Cream Cheese (available dairy free), Cucumber, & Dill

More Special Events

We're excited to host another Game Designer Day on Saturday, June 13th. Are you developing a board game, card game, or role-playing game that you would like people to playtest? Sign up for a table at our Game Designer Day.

D&D Summer Club is ON!

Check sign your student up now. Slots are going fast.

SIGN UP HERE

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.

FREE RPG DAY IS COMING UP! SIGN UP NOW TO SAVE YOUR SEATS!

TCG Event Updates!

Lorcana League on Sundays kick back off May 17th. (Join the Discord for the League Goals)!

To sign up for a TCG Event, just click the photo.

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.

Check out our socials to vote for your favorite of the submissions for this month's mini painting contest.