The Weekly Grind - September 15th 2025 Newsletter

Critical Grind Gaming
11 hours ago
5 min read

Been a very productive and fun week!

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES:

Last Tuesday we closed for the morning and our team worked their butts off. We've redesigned a lot of our spaces to create more room for play and retail.

We had visitors from the P-STEP program visit us on Friday (if you know of an organization or school that might be interested in coming to Critical Grind for a Field Trip, please pass on my email, dana@criticalgrind.com)

Sunday, we hosted our dear friend Michaela from Gallaher Sourdough. She was supposed to be here from 11am until 3pm and sold out by 12:30! Thank you for your support and we can't wait to have her back.

We're currently looking for volunteers to work with us at Lodge Con! Hang out at our vendor table, the game library, our cafe concessions, or even run some board games and role-playing games.

Voting has started again for the Best of Will County: Readers' Choice Awards.

Please Vote for Critical Grind for Best in Family Recreation. We won last year and would love to keep the streak going. That said, we were also nominated in the Birthday Party Venue category as well. You can vote once a day per email address.

As some of you know The Bucko, one of our Specialty Lattes, was created in dedication to my nephew Nick. Nick turned 26 on September 18th, 2018 and passed away September 19th, 2018. His favorite part of a game our family would play every Christmas was the Chocolate Covered Cherries..."the liquid ones, not the cream ones." So, I created The Bucko as a Cherry Mocha in dedication to Nick. For this week, 9/15 - 9/21, $1.00 for every Bucko purchased will go toward the NFL Foundation. This charity was chosen by Nick's son who, like his father had, enjoys playing football.

So, stop by Critical Grind this week and treat yourself to The Bucko!

SPECIAL EVENTS!

RPG Event Updates!

--> KIDS RPG NIGHT

I will be emailing the parents directly every week a few days 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 is only the 2nd and 4th Fridays.

--> Discord Looking For Party Highlights

These are some RPGs being mentioned in our Discord that people are looking to get together and play.

Dungeons & Dragons, Starfinder, Daggerheart, and probably some others. Join the discord and don't miss the tables.

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.

We have more copies of Daggerheart coming! Pre-Order now to reserve your copy!

TCG Event Updates!

Our Magic the Gathering League started on Monday, August 18th. This will be 4 weeks per round. Played in timed pods with points awarded for place at the end of the game, and various play goals which will rotate every 4 weeks. Promos and Packs will be given as prizes each week.

This Friday is the Spider-Man Prerelease Tournament. We still have a few seats available. Click Here to reserve your seat.

The Spider-Man Friendly Neighborhood Draft Tournament is coming up on Friday, September 26th. This one is a little different, using a Pick-Two Draft Format. Click Here to save your seat!

Lorcana League is back for Set 9. Lots of ways to earn points, packs, and prizes. Join our discord to see the different play goals for each round.

Board Game Event Updates!

Wednesday Open Play <--

We are currently offering Free Play on Wednesdays. Stop by anytime on a Wednesday and play any of the games in our library. (*this doesn't include any special events or tournaments*)

--> Splendor & 7 Wonders Tournaments

Still locking down tournament dates, but stay tuned. Critical Grind is going to be hosting Splendor & 7 Wonders qualifier tournaments. Top 8 for each game from our store will get to participate in the finals at Lodge Con against the Top 8 players from By The Board.

September's Mini Painting Contest

Our September Mini Painting Contest is here! It's $15 for the Monthly Paint Pass and you'll get the mini to go along with it and unlimited drop-ins for our Mini-Painting sessions! The minis are due back by September 21st and we have a limited number of them available.

Whether you're participating in our contests or just looking for a space to hang out and paint, stop by any Tuesday or Wednesday 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.

Critical Podcast

Click the image or HERE to find us on Podbean! Or search for us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Let's just say the podcast is on a bit of a hiatus. I haven't given up on this but I need to pace myself.

Thank you all for understanding.

Catch up now on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple Podcasts.

Are you interested in being a guest on the podcast? Fill out this form.

On a related note, I was recently a guest on "From Scratch" and I'm excited for the release of that episode. Looks like it's going to come out in a couple months.

Pop-Up Events!

Critical Grind will be at Joliet Pride Fest on Saturday, September 20th!

Did You Know!?

We're currently looking for pop-up bakers and crafters for October.

I'd like to host an independent candy company for October, but I'm open to any fall treats.

If you're interested, email me at dana@criticalgrind.com

This Month's Calendar & Specials

SEPTEMBER SPECIALS --

Banana Lunar Chai: Banana & Toasted Marshmallow Chai Latte. (Take flavor inspiration and use Banana and Toasted Marshmallow in a latte or Italian soda)

Jolly Rancher Refresher: Watermelon Kiwi Refresher with Cherry Syrup.

Orange Smoothius: Pineapple Smoothie with Orange Juice, topped with Vanilla Cold Foam.

Banana Pudding Toast: Cream Cheese, Bananas, Nilla Cookies, and Butterscotch Syrup.

Campfire Toast: Ricotta, Walnuts, Espresso Grounds, Cinnamon, and Maple Syrup.

Get through that mid-week drab with some gaming! Every Wednesday is a FREE Open Gaming at Critical Grind. Cafe Purchase Required. This doesn't include any special events or tournaments. Only Open Play.

**WE NOW OFFER HOT FOODS MONDAY - FRIDAY AFTER 5PM AND ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS AFTER 11AM!**

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: