Competition gets the juices flowing
It doesn't always have to be about hotel getaways, upscale dinners and romantic alone-time.
Occasionally, couples need to stop being high maintenance and, instead, spend a night dueling in Dance Dance Revolution or mastering their Ski Ball skills.
That, ladies and gentleman, is what grown-up game spots are for.
The suburbs are filled with adult game venues, such as Gameworks in Schaumburg or Dave & Buster's in Addison. And visiting them gives couples a chance to let loose, singles to flirt and mixed groups to find common ground.
Mount Prospect resident Lisa Maentz, 30, jumps at the opportunity for a game night with her husband, Steve, 35, whenever they get free time.
Since the birth of their son, Avery, last November, Maentz says she always prefers to spend her rare nights out at Whirlyball, a game that mixes basketball, lacrosse and bumper cars and has suburban locations in Lombard and Vernon Hills.
"It's just way more fun," she says. "You don't spend a lot of money like when you go to the fancy dinner, where you spend a million dollars and you're there for only and hour and just go home."
And while couples like the Maentzes can find a cheap night out at some game venues -- Whirlyball costs $12 for 30 minutes and couples can play video games, air hockey, pool and more there for just a few bucks -- others can be a bit more pricey.
Chicago Indoor Racing, which offers go-karts that go approximately 35 mph, can cost more than $100 for a couple who wants to race a few rounds. That's because this business tends to cater to corporate events or large groups like bachelor parties.
But owner Tony Stewart, who will open a second Chicago Indoor Racing in Addison late this summer, says this doesn't deter couples who come looking for something different.
"People don't want to do the same-old, same-old," Stewart said. "We've had couples where the wife has been here for a corporate event and will say, 'My husband would love this' and then they come back together."
Perhaps the biggest appeal of game spots, however, is that couples don't have to visit alone. Whether it's a double date or an outing mixed with single friends, these venues leave little room for anyone to feel like a third, fifth or 11th wheel.
Maentz said she often plays Whirlyball with mixed groups that number 10 or more, and she always prefers that to a traditional bar setting.
"When you're put in those kinds of situations where it's just music at a bar, you end up running into couples only talking to each other," she said. "But in places that have games, everyone gets involved."
Dave & Buster's
Where: 1155 N. Swift Road, Addison
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Cost: Free admission
Web site: www.daveandbusters.com
Phone: (630) 543-5151
Gameworks
Where: 601 N Martingale Road, # 11, Schaumburg
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to midnight Sundays.
Cost: Free admission
Web site: www.gameworks.com
Phone: (847) 330-9676
Whirlyball
Where: 800 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard
Hours: noon to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; noon to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: 285 Center Drive, Vernon Hills
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays; noon to 2 a.m. Saturdays; noon to midnight Sundays
Cost: $12 per person for a 30-minute walk-in game
Web site: www.whirlyball.com
Phone: (800) 894-4759
Chicago Indoor Racing
Where: 301 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays; 4 to 11 p.m. Thursdays; noon to midnight Fridays; 3 p.m. to midnight Saturdays; 3 to 9 p.m. Sundays
Cost: Drivers not part of a group event must purchase either a monthly or annual license for $10 or $25 respectively. Races cost $25 each for the first two races and either $15 for monthly license holders or $10 for annual license holders for subsequent races on the same day.
Web site: www.chicagoindoorracing.com
Phone: (847) 941-9400