A la card Chicago

Has anyone bought a deck of A la Card Chicago? I just placed an order online. It seems like a good deal and an excuse to try some restaurants on my list. Just using 4 of these pays for itself. Valid 1.1.09 - 12.31.09 on tabs of $25 or more.

A la Card Chicago wrote:A deck of 52 cards... each card describes a unique chef-driven/owner-operated restaurant in the city of varied price-points, cuisines/genres, and neighborhoods. Additionally, each card is a $10 gift certificate to the restaurant it describes.

Chicago Reader Blog wrote:A la Card Chicago has released its second annual deck of $10 gift cards for 52 independent, owner-operated, chef-driven restaurants, each redeemable on any day in 2009 on a minimum tab of $25. The new deck is particularly well curated, featuring new additions like Mado, Mixteco Grill, Hot Doug's, and Katsu as well as returning restaurants like Lula, Naha, Hot Chocolate, and David Burke's Primehouse.

That's $520 worth of eating for $30. It's a formidable deck for even the most dedicated restaurant-goer to get through, but it would be great to have on hand just to pass out the individual cards to friends and minions.

And if any of those restaurants should sink in the troubled waters ahead, A la Card's Natasha Liberman will replace it with a card for one that's still afloat.

Thanks for reminding me about A La Card, Pucca. My interest was piqued when I first read about it in The Reader but then I forgot about it . . . as I tend to do about these things.

P.S. I can't decide if the name "A La Card" is just terrible or amusingly kitschy.

I was given a deck of cards late last year at a press event. There were only 4 - 5 places out of 52 that held any interest for me, but I ran out of days in the year before getting to any of them. I suppose if you were paying money for the deck, it would be worth making sure that there are at least 3 places you will actually go to and use the cards before purchasing. From the quotes above, it looks like that added at least a couple more worthy places. Also, be sure to read the fine print. For example, they are touting the fact that they added Hot Dougs. The ony thing is, you have to buy at least $25 worth of stuff to get your $10 off. That's a lot of encased meats, my friend.

stevez wrote:For example, they are touting the fact that they added Hot Dougs. The ony thing is, you have to buy at least $25 worth of stuff to get your $10 off. That's a lot of encased meats, my friend.

Not really, it's pretty easy to get up to $25 at Hot Doug's with a small group. If you go to Hot Doug's with 3 people on a weekend, that's 3 special sausages @ $7.50/pop, 1 order of duck fat fries at $3.50, and 3 small sodas (free refills) at $1.25/per.

$22.50 +
$ 3.50 +
$ 3.75 +
$29.75 -
$10.00 =
$19.75 or about $6.58 apiece.

Not a bad deal at all.

aschie30 wrote:

stevez wrote:For example, they are touting the fact that they added Hot Dougs. The ony thing is, you have to buy at least $25 worth of stuff to get your $10 off. That's a lot of encased meats, my friend.

Not really, it's pretty easy to get up to $25 at Hot Doug's with a small group. If you go to Hot Doug's with 3 people on a weekend, that's 3 special sausages @ $7.50/pop, 1 order of duck fat fries at $3.50, and 3 small sodas (free refills) at $1.25/per.

$22.50 +
$ 3.50 +
$ 3.75 +
$29.75 -
$10.00 =
$19.75 or about $6.58 apiece.

Not a bad deal at all.

Good for you! I have a hard time spending more than $10 on my infrequent visits.

stevez wrote:I have a hard time spending more than $10 on my infrequent visits.

Yeah, I think $10 is about what you'd spend at Hot Dougs so, admittedly, the discount with A La Card is not huge. Really, the advantage inherent in these cards is at the more expensive places.

Mr. X received the remnants of a deck of A La Cards from work. With places like Mixteco Grill and Spacca Napoli still in the pack, I was very happy. We haven't used any yet.

Bought a deck at August grocery store last night, and used my first card at Mado. Will use my second card tonight at Cafe Matou. two for two. This will pay for itself easily for me.

I bought a deck over the summer at the Taste of Randolph Street for $20. I ended up using the cards 5 times (thus, a $50 discount). There are a number of excellent participating restaurants so it hardly hurts to make the purchase (although I believe the price is now $30/deck).

The list looks great.
Here are the restaurants listed on their website:

AIGRE DOUX

BETWEEN BOUTIQUE

BIG JONES

BISTRO CAMPAGNE

BITTERSWEET

BONSOIREE

CAFE 103

CAFE MATOU

CHALKBOARD

CRUST

DAVID BURKE'S PRIMEHOUSE

DE CERO

DELEECE

EVE

HB HOME BISTRO

HEARTLAND CAFE

HOT CHOCOLATE

HOT DOUG'S

JERRY'S SANDWICHES

KARYN'S

KATSU

KIKI'S BISTRO

KITSCH'N

LA TACHE

LE LAN

LULA CAFE

MADO

MAGNOLIA CAFE

MANA FOOD BAR

MANNY'S DELI

MAY ST. MARKET

MEXIQUE

MIXTECO GRILL

MK

MUNDIAL COCINA MESTIZA

NAHA

OTOM

PICCOLO SOGNO

SMOQUE

SOCCA

SOLA

SPACCA NAPOLI

SUSHI WABI

SWEETS & SAVORIES

TALLULAH

THALIA SPICE

THE BRISTOL

TIZI MELLOUL

TRATTORIA ROMA

UNCOMMON GROUND

VEERASWAY

VOLO

In these trying times for restaurants, I have very mixed feelings about using one of those cards at a favorite locally owned restaurant that I would be going to anyway. I'm sure the motivation for many of the restaurants in signing up for a program like this is to bring in new business. I personally have a hard time justifying "taking advantage" of a place where I am already a regular customer. Does anyone else feel this way?

stevez wrote:In these trying times for restaurants, I have very mixed feelings about using one of those cards at a favorite locally owned restaurant that I would be going to anyway. I'm sure the motivation for many of the restaurants in signing up for a program like this is to bring in new business. I personally have a hard time justifying "taking advantage" of a place where I am already a regular customer. Does anyone else feel this way?

I feel the same way Steve. I am not a big restaurant coupon/discount user anyway, especially in these trying financial times for them.

stevez wrote:In these trying times for restaurants, I have very mixed feelings about using one of those cards at a favorite locally owned restaurant that I would be going to anyway. I'm sure the motivation for many of the restaurants in signing up for a program like this is to bring in new business. I personally have a hard time justifying "taking advantage" of a place where I am already a regular customer. Does anyone else feel this way?

A couple of questions/comments:

1. A la card Chicago gives $1 from every deck sold to Common Threads.

2. Many times businesses receive a payment when they participate in these types of programs. I have no idea of restaurants that offer the $10 discount are receiving anything back in this case. So we don't know how much the revenue the restaurant actually loses by participating.

3. If you are worried about the financial health of the restaurant, you can always leave a larger tip (which helps the employees, I realize) or order more food & drinks. Use the coupon to pay for an extra dish you wouldn't have otherwise ordered.

4. I have no doubt that I visit more restaurants on this list as a result of having the coupon. When my wife and I can't decide where to go, we will inevitably see where we have coupons left to use. In my case, there will be restaurants who get more business from me because they participated. (I realize your comment was directed more towards restaurants where you are already a regular customer and would attend anyways.)

I tend to agree with Darren72, $10 at my favorite place is nothing really. I'm still going to spend over $150 at Bonsoiree with or without it, we tried Mado just because it was on the card and on Milwaukee Ave, also another tab over $100, and both theses places are BYOB. We also always tip on the amount before the discount. Actually, at Mado we ordered another dish to split because of the card. We will now be repeat customers of Mado.

I don't know, it's a promotion and to my mind a very well-organized one (my thing about coupon books usually is that they're 96% places I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, the level of quality here is extremely high). Promotion is a cost of doing business, if this thing works it brings people in, but if you don't use it there, you're ever so slightly depriving them of some accurate feedback on how many people bought the things and what good the program did. (Negligibly, probably, but still.) Not that their business model is anything like McDonald's, but years ago I worked on a promotion aimed at moms, which the oh-ohs (owner-operators) didn't like because it was a freebie (and McDonald's never does freebies)... until after a few weeks they saw 1) that the people using the freebie always bought more stuff anyway, and 2) for the first time understood just how central moms were to their traffic.* The information value of that promotion far outstripped its immediate monetary value.

That said, I can think of one or two cases where I'd feel vaguely skinflintish using it, because I know the owner(s), but the obvious solution is, just give those cards to somebody and encourage them to check those places out.

* In the focus groups for the program, a woman read the copy I'd written and loudly proclaimed, "You can just tell this was written by a real mom!" I was known as Mutha Gebert for some time.

Darren72 wrote:
A couple of questions/comments:

1. A la card Chicago gives $1 from every deck sold to Common Threads.

That has nothing to do with the restaurants. It's just a marketing gimmick for the cards (and a nice thing to do).

Darren72 wrote:2. Many times businesses receive a payment when they participate in these types of programs. I have no idea of restaurants that offer the $10 discount are receiving anything back in this case. So we don't know how much the revenue the restaurant actually loses by participating.

I think it works the other way around. I'm sure the restaurants have to pay, or at least offer some type of trade out to participate.

Darren72 wrote:3. If you are worried about the financial health of the restaurant, you can always leave a larger tip (which helps the employees, I realize) or order more food & drinks. Use the coupon to pay for an extra dish you wouldn't have otherwise ordered.

In my case, if there is a dish I want, I'll order it. Having a coupon will not influence my decision one way or the other.

Darren72 wrote:4. I have no doubt that I visit more restaurants on this list as a result of having the coupon. When my wife and I can't decide where to go, we will inevitably see where we have coupons left to use. In my case, there will be restaurants who get more business from me because they participated. (I realize your comment was directed more towards restaurants where you are already a regular customer and would attend anyways.)

This is a different scenario than the one I posed above. If the coupon influences me to try a new place that I have never been to, it's doing its job. I was referring more to places I already visit and would be going to anyway, regardless of the coupon.

stevez wrote:

Darren72 wrote:
A couple of questions/comments:

1. A la card Chicago gives $1 from every deck sold to Common Threads.

That has nothing to do with the restaurants. It's just a marketing gimmick for the cards (and a nice thing to do).

I agree. I pointed it out, though, for two reasons: it's a small, but good reason to buy the cards. Also, if people use the cards, the program is likely to grow, which benefits restaurants, patrons, and the charity program.

stevez wrote:

Darren72 wrote:2. Many times businesses receive a payment when they participate in these types of programs. I have no idea if restaurants that offer the $10 discount are receiving anything back in this case. So we don't know how much the revenue the restaurant actually loses by participating.

I think it works the other way around. I'm sure the restaurants have to pay, or at least offer some type of trade out to participate.

As I said, I don't know how this program works. Perhaps the restaurants pay to participate. Perhaps they can redeem the coupons patrons use for cash. I don't know. Do you?

stevez wrote:

Darren72 wrote:3. If you are worried about the financial health of the restaurant, you can always leave a larger tip (which helps the employees, I realize) or order more food & drinks. Use the coupon to pay for an extra dish you wouldn't have otherwise ordered.

In my case, if there is a dish I want, I'll order it. Having a coupon will not influence my decision one way or the other.

I like Mike G's solution: then give the coupon to someone else.

stevez wrote:

Darren72 wrote:4. I have no doubt that I visit more restaurants on this list as a result of having the coupon. When my wife and I can't decide where to go, we will inevitably see where we have coupons left to use. In my case, there will be restaurants who get more business from me because they participated. (I realize your comment was directed more towards restaurants where you are already a regular customer and would attend anyways.)

This is a different scenario than the one I posed above. If the coupon influences me to try a new place that I have never been to, it's doing its job. I was referring more to places I already visit and would be going to anyway, regardless of the coupon.

Which is why I wrote "(I realize your comment was directed more towards restaurants where you are already a regular customer and would attend anyways.)".

Trying to decided on a place for dinner tonight and got out my cards and was reading about Common Threads, and then it struck me that Art Smith's restaurant isn't even participating. What gives?

stevez wrote:In these trying times for restaurants, I have very mixed feelings about using one of those cards at a favorite locally owned restaurant that I would be going to anyway. I'm sure the motivation for many of the restaurants in signing up for a program like this is to bring in new business. I personally have a hard time justifying "taking advantage" of a place where I am already a regular customer. Does anyone else feel this way?

No. It gives me a reason to go back. Today is the 25th and I have already spent approximately $300 at three of the restaurants listed ( Spacca Napoli, Aigre Doux, and Lula Cafe). Will I be going back to those three restaurants this year if I know I have a coupon, absolutely. In these dire times, I may be more willing to go back to places I know and love than try new places and possibly be disappointed. Although, judging from the crowds at my 3 restaurants, only one was empty and that was on a Monday night.

Well, this was a piece of cake. By the end of January, less than two weeks after I received my A La Card, I went to three A La Card restaurants, therefore, breaking even on the upfront $30 fee. Without even trying, I used my card at May Street Market, Jerry's Sandwiches (glad I had $10 off there) and, when a friend from out of town (I consider Aurora to be "out-of-town") suggested Spacca Napoli for dinner, I said, "Sure!," knowing I had a $10 off card for it.

There are many more places on A La Card that I'd like to go to, such as Mado, Mexique and Mondial Cocina Mestiza.

jimswside wrote:I feel the same way Steve. I am not a big restaurant coupon/discount user anyway, especially in these trying financial times for them.

These are trying times for customers as well. I've been out of work 3 times in the past 5 years. I suspect our taxable income for 2008 will be half what it was in 2006. We're doing everything we can to stretch our budget. In many cases, having a coupon or some sort of discount makes the difference between going out or staying home for dinner.

As to this particular program, it appears to be very Chicago centric. I didn't recognize most of the names on the list, but none were places I was aware of in my neighborhood. At least the old Entertainment books had coupons targeted at particular geographic areas of the city.

I'm three for three, at the even point. The $10 didn't really put a dent in my tabs. Mado, Tizi Melloul, Cafe Matou. Next on the list, May St. Market, Piccolo Sogno, S&S, Bonsoiree, David Burke's. Again, $10 is not even going to pay the tax. But, it's a good cause and I am so happy we went to Mado.

I picked up my deck of cards the other day. I figure I will break even if I only use the coupons for the places I currently frequent and enjoy. However, it is small enough to fit into a small purse or the inside blazer pocket, so I can really see carrying it for where shall we go. I get great ideas of places to try from here, but probably like so many others, forget to try them when looking for a place to go. I think the cards will help me try other places and support the local businesses represented by the deck.

Sorry if this is a re-post, but I just discovered this deal and I thought people might enjoy it. Essentially, for 30 dollars you get 52 10$ gift certificates to local, "chef-driven, owner-operated" restaurants. There are a lot of good restaurants on the list including a number of GNRs. I just picked one up at Pastoral in the loop. I'll make back this money in to time.

http://www.alacardchicago.com/

turkob wrote:Sorry if this is a re-post...

It is. For future reference, an easy way to find out is to type "a la card" and select "Topic titles only" in the Search feature. Took me a couple of years on LTHForum to figure that out.

Just wanted to extend these great deals on the 2009 & soon-to-be-released 2010 decks to the LTH community...

Please visit: http://www.alacardchicago.com/2010DecksComingSoon.html

Best,
Natasha

Thanks for posting about those offers.

I just took you up on the preorder 2010 and get a 2009 deck free deal. This will be our third 2009 deck, as we bought one and were given a second as a gift. There are some great restaurants participating, and I really like the fun deck-of-cards format. When our 2010 and additional 2009 decks arrive, we are considering hosting a card game.

"I've got a full house -- Bristols over Sweets & Savorieses!"

"Do you have any Smoques?"
"Nope, go fish."

--Rich

Enjoy 15% off the 2010 decks today only with promo code LTH. http://alacardchicago.com/buy_online.html

2010 A la Card Chicago restaurants... (those in blue are new to the 2010 deck)

Big Jones | Birchwood Kitchen | Bistro Campagne | Blue 13 | Bonsoiree | The Bristol | Café Matou | Cemitas Puebla | Ceres’ Table | David Burke’s Primehouse | De Cero | Deleece | Eve | Fianco | Floriole | The Gage | Gemini Bistro | HB Home Bistro | Honky Tonk BBQ | Hot Chocolate | Hot Doug’s | Inovasi | Juicy Wine Co. | Karyn’s | Katsu | Kiki’s Bistro | Le Colonial | Lula Café | Mado | Mana food bar | Manny’s | Mexique | MK | Naha | Nightwood | Otom | Piccolo Sogno | Rustico Grill | Salpicon | Smoque | Socca | Sola | Spacca Napoli | Sushi Wabi | Table | Takashi | Taxim | Tiny Lounge | Tizi Melloul | Uncommon Ground | Veerasway | Vie

Just ordered my 2010 deck. This is a worthy cause and it's always nice to get coupons to my favorite restaurants.

thanks a la card. I got mine too. I need to use up the rest of 2009. I might just do that tonight.