For me and my crew, we always started Gen Con at The RAM. Sometimes their convention t-shirts had better designs than the official shirts. It's that kind of thing that I'm going to miss, unless another place picks up on it.
Exactly. I am not saying other places are not welcoming. They most certainly are. But we love to go to the Yardhouse. When we do, its great, but we are gamers at a restaurant, rather than diners in a gamer restaurant. Thats what Scotty's, the Ram and Bee Coffee felt like. If you are a sports fan,and can choose between a sports bar that is generic or one decked out in your favorite teams colors and logos, with their banners and the wait staff in their jerseys, you probably go to the latter since it feels more in the spirit. Hopefully the void will be filled soon.
Unlike some of the discussions around the forums these days, I really do see everyone's points. As Raptorov points out, the places you might in the past have said were "must-see" food/drink locations due to their commitment to Gen-Con are almost all gone now, which is extra-weird as most of the big names actually closed before the pandemic. THOUGH for the record I had stopped recommending the Ram years before it closed since it had weirdly gone all-in on appealing to one specific subgroup of wargamer, which was a strange decision for something as omni-nerd as our beloved convention (yes I realize Privateer Press no doubt paid for this theming).
AND for the other side of the coin, a big part of what makes the surrounding area feel magical is the fact that almost everyone everywhere you go is having conversations about gaming, and even the businesses who do not bend over backwards to do nerdy themes or art or something are still incredibly welcoming and glad to see us. I cannot think of more than a few restaurant visits over the last decade at least where the waitstaff did not specifically compliment Gen-Con attendees as a whole for being almost universally friendly and tipping well. So even if you are at someplace totally non-gaming-related, like my personal favorite hidden gem the Fat Rooster in the Hyatt, you get ceaselessly welcomed and feel like you are someone/somewhere special.
Yes, quarex is correct. The Ram shirts did kind of go all in on the bomber nose art style of design.
But I remember years ago, we met up at Scotty's for our usual Wednesday lunch GenCon kickoff, to order off the special menu and get our limited edition d6. I ordered the "Wrap of the Righteous" AKA "Buffalo Chicken Wrap (for the rest of the year). It comes out with my d6 in a little cup with a lid, like a side of dipping sauce would. The businesswoman at the table nearby ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and when the server bought it out with the dd6 on the side, she looked at it as if they brought her a severed mouse head. He explained to her that it was a GenCon thing. I don't recall whether she kept it or he took it back, but we joked later that we should have gone over and offered to take it if she didn't want it. But I would never feel right depriving someone of the awesomeness that is a free limited edition d6!
But I remember years ago, we met up at Scotty's for our usual Wednesday lunch GenCon kickoff, to order off the special menu and get our limited edition d6. I ordered the "Wrap of the Righteous" AKA "Buffalo Chicken Wrap (for the rest of the year). It comes out with my d6 in a little cup with a lid, like a side of dipping sauce would. The businesswoman at the table nearby ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and when the server bought it out with the dd6 on the side, she looked at it as if they brought her a severed mouse head. He explained to her that it was a GenCon thing.
One of my fondest memories was going to Scotty's for lunch and some obviously non-gamers came in and stared quizzically at all the staff in cosplay or wearing gaming-related shirts. They looked around the restaurant and turned their attention to the TVs which were all playing sci-fi movies. I overheard them ask the staff "I thought this was a sports bar?" to which the bartender replied, "We usually are, but Gen Con is going on now so we re-do the place for the gamers!". The group stayed but they ate in confused silence.
Though the food wasn't really very good, the way Scotty's catered to the gamers was really special. Any restaurant that opened up downtown last year didn't have Gen Con attendees visiting, but I hope that we all leave a good impression on them to the point they will follow what The Ram and Scotty's did (if they aren't doing it already).
I have to agree that, although we miss The RAM and Scotty's and Bee Coffee, all of us Gen Con attendees have to show the new places downtown that we are good business. We have to show them that we are friendly, not rude, and that we tip well. Even if they aren't turning their restaurants over to us gamers this year, they might do that in 2022 if we all put on our best behavior.
Probably most of the new places already know. Every year the local TV, radio, and newspapers all talk about what good business Gen Con really is. Plus, most of them have worked in the Indy restaurant business before.
And given the economy for the last year+, they'll be glad to see any business.
Though I hear about everyone running short-staffed too, so keep your patience on.
And let's not forget the hotels, easily one of the blocks of business that enjoys our commerce. Many tend to get gamer-themed key cards for us, and their management tends to enjoy a convention crowd that is just as happy scarfing from tons of pizza boxes and mostly careful drinking (we don't want to mess up our game boards!) while sitting around a few tables and chairs they set up, then the wild parties and 'painting-the-town-red' many other conventions are known for after hours.
Always exceptions, and problems, but I like to think the hotels welcome us and are going to telling their own eateries and places nearby that it is smart money to lure in the gamers to their area. Indy has fun with Gen Con too.
You mentioned the hotels. For several years we stayed at Springhill Suites, which necessitated a trip thru the JW Marriott to get to the ICC. You would get off the elevator and the "muzak" was the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Man, I miss that. I can even smell the hallways. You all got me longing for GenCon back in the Earth-That-Was. I will have to enjoy it vicariously thru you all this year, until next year when finances allow me to rejoin you. I will keep on the forums lurking and longing....
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Never knew that about the JW!
I saw that Goodwood is going to change their menu for Gen Con. That's cool.
I think I still have some valid Cluster Truck 50% off promo codes for first time customers.
I will post in a separate thread the week before