Chad C.
Yelp
Great Place BUT terrible bar staff experience with Yelp offer.
So I will start with the good, then end with the bad and why Free Zone received 1 star.
This is my first time at Free Zone and I am a local. We arrived at 8pm to grab a drink and play pool with our friends. The Bar is pretty basic not much to see but the guests that Free Zone attracts seem to be great people. Met a lot of great people that our friends enjoyed their company. People where dancing and having a great time even before the DJ and Drag started later in the evening.
Pool is $1 per play, you can play the juke box before the DJ starts, they have casino games at the bar, ample seating around the bar, dance floor, and around the pool tables. Drinks are good. We didn't order food so I am not sure how the service or food is. Once the DJ starts later in the night they even have bathroom attendants that offer amenities. They are not pushy.
SO now the bad...
We arrived and checked into Free Zone and once we checked-in the app gives a coupon for 1 free drink- equal or less value. Wasn't expecting that but was a good surprise. We arrived at 8pm and it was not busy and about 15 people in the bar. There where 2 bar tenders. We ordered our drinks 1- green tea and 1- **** sucker. We showed the male bartender the Yelp screen with the coupon and the gentlemen stated they do not honor the Yelp coupon. He said that we needed to make a review. He said after you make a review then you can receive the free drink. So before we could make the review the bartender finished making the drinks and gave us the bill.
Okay, I am a little upset because they have a sign next to the bar that states "Home of the famous free drink with a review from Yelp, Google, eventbite, Facebook, Instagram." So after playing pool and finishing our drink we returned to the bar with our Yelp review and was then helped by the 2nd female bartender. We told her we made a review and would like to have 2- green teas. She made the drinks and then stated I need to see your review. I held my phone and showed her the review. She stated "I need to read it." She scrolled through the comment and she asked. "Why did you look upset, what is wrong?" I told her that as a Yelp Elite I am not going to discuss why I am giving a review due to services being rendered at this point. She then finished reading the review and stated "Okay, you have one free well drink with this review." So I told the bartender that the "Home of the famous free drink is a scam and a pain." I had to return the 2nd green tea that we ordered because she wasn't going to honor that drink.
I don't mind paying for drinks BUT if you have Yelp and all of this "free drink" signs posted over the bar There should be no hassle. But it is a hassle and the bartenders kind of get stand-offish. It make the experience for me terrible. So you are willing to not honor a coupon and possible loss business for $2-$4 seems crazy to me.
I will not be going back just due to my experience. I felt uncomfortable and don't want any confrontation just to get a free drink. I can't believe staff want to read your review, ask you what is wrong, and all while in front of you before they give their service. I have added the photo that Yelp has on their app, a photo of the Yelp website offer, and photo of the signage over the bar.
Besides that experience I would recommend you try out Free Zone due to the customers that are present. The great people visiting the bar make the experience worth going.