End of a love affair

the roosevelt collection breaks my heart

08/31/2010 7:47 PM

By Bonnie McGrath

7 Comments - Add Your Comment


As readers of this blog know, I was in love with the Roosevelt Collection on Roosevelt, just west of Clark. The buildings beguiled me with classy creativity; the theaters enchanted me with great movies and comfortable seats; the help entranced me with kindness and goodwill--and the Lobby Lounge pleased me with good food and good views. You can read all about it here, as well as here, and here and even here. When I ran for circuit court judge, my neighborhood pal and movie critic Jan Huttner gave me a party there to meet and greet friends and neighbors and it was great, to say the least. And I even mentioned the place in glowing terms in a South Loop Neighbors' newsletter.


But late this afternoon, after my 28-year-old daughter and I walked over there to see Eat Pray Love to get out of the heat (we loved the movie, by the way), we stopped in the Lobby Lounge for a Northern Italian style pizza (like Julia Roberts ate in the movie). A "hostess," if you want to call her a name that is that nice, told us in no uncertain terms that we weren't welcome, that she wasn't letting us in because my daughter had forgotten to bring her ID and couldn't prove she was 21. I was willing to forego the pizza and chalk it up to an idiot-of-the-moment. Until she said, "I'm calling the manager to tell you the same thing."

I hadn't asked to see the manager and I was appalled that she took it upon herself to do that. I was willing to leave without an argument but here he came before I could. Looking like he needed proof of being 21 himself. He "explained" what he called "State Law." And that there was absolutely nothing he could do for us if Molly didn't have her ID on her. I didn't tell him I was a lawyer, and a saloon-goer from way back, and in need of a Neopolitan-style pizza, but I did tell him I was a blogger and handed him my card.

"I have written a lot of really nice things about this place since you opened," I said. "I really liked it until this minute. But I won't be saying nice things anymore. In fact, I will blog about this unpleasant experience."

He looked quizzical. "We weren't rude to you or anything, were we?"

There were no loud voices between us, no anger. Just a hostess and a manager who didn't know the first thing about running a business--even if they did know about "State Law."


7 Comments - Add Your Comment



By Doug from South Loop
Posted: 09/12/2010 8:50 AM

It sounds like the Showplace Icon Theatre is better off without you. There will always be employees, even managers, that unfortunately haven't mastered good customer service skills, but if their policy is not to allow anyone who may be under age in a 21 and over venue, I don't see how you can argue with it. Also, two employees of a bar located within a movie theatre have caused you to turn your back on an entire (future) shopping center that you at one time "loved"? Lighten up.


By Lake from Southloop
Posted: 09/07/2010 9:15 PM

I doubt that they were 100 percent the problem. I've been there and have had no problems.


By You have got to be kidding from Printer\
Posted: 09/02/2010 11:13 AM

So because you have frequented the business and have blogged nice things they should let you avoid the requirement of people who haven\'t? This is like \"Don\'t you know who I am?\" I side with the manager -- they weren\'t rude but calmly enforced their policy. The fact that you can\'t get into a bar without proof of age is just them following the law.


By Kate from West Town
Posted: 09/02/2010 9:25 AM

Seriously? It's a huge corporate chain. They don't care at all about whatever people might blog about them. As for the "rude" hostess, she probably has had plenty of customers go off on her and just wanted to protect herself. Enforcement of the drinking age is, in fact, a state law, so why are you offended by him pointing this out? I'm still planning on going to the Roosevelt Collection after this "incident".


By Julia from Ravenswood
Posted: 08/31/2010 9:13 PM

Bravo, Bonnie! You handled a stupid situation with class and grace. Too bad the hayseeds don't get it.


By Paul from River North
Posted: 08/31/2010 9:10 PM

I'm appalled too. When Molly and I were there the place was like a post-apocolyptic movie -- lifeless. The world is full of jerks. I hope Molly wasn't too disappointed. Sometimes she hasn't had her ID or credit card with her, but it never caused a fuss.


By Anupy Singla from Lincoln Park
Posted: 08/31/2010 9:00 PM

Bonnie. I'm sorry you had this experience after such a wonderful one with your daughter. It's a shame that there seems to be little to no customer service anywhere these days. I was just talking about this to a friend today about how rude business owners are these days...don't they realize that with a little effort to just talk it out and treat people the way they want to be treated likely they'll do much much better. Or, in this case..maybe they just don't need your (or my) business.