Questions and Answers
I’m looking forward to this deal.
I’ve not been there…do they sell bagels to go…can you also use this groupon to purchase a dozen bagels vs a sandwich?
They do sell bagels to go but you will definitely want to use this for their sandwiches which are like nothing else you have ever tried. They are fabulous. When I have guests from out of town they have CBA on their must go to list.
That’s so odd that people say how much they like the bagels here. I went once, I was so happy with the atmosphere and so looking forward to an authentic bagel but boy I was not liking the bagel I got. The place was packed but I don’t understand…the bagel tasted like mushy moist dough bread. I think it was microwaved … didn’t taste like a good bagel to me. But hey maybe I have a different idea of delicious bagel…everyone else seemed into them.
Is it only one groupon per visit?
tHe bagels and sammys are steamed not microwaved. Which makes them not only delicious but somewhat more healthy then a grilled alternative.
My question is if you buy 5 groupnons do you have to use all 5 in one visit? Seems like that is the indication.
The best thing about CBA is that they steam their bagels. That’s right, they put their bagels in a steamer. Instead of a crispy bagel that one would get if it were put in a toaster, the bagel comes out chewy— as bagels were meant to be consumed. This makes their sandwiches so amazing— because the roof of your mouth is not being torn to shreds as it would be trying to eat a sizeable sandwich that was toasted. Also, the Cosby sandwich is just about the best thing to happen to Chicago.
It’s totally funny that there’s all this talk about the bagel. It’s the first thing I thought about when I saw the offer. I’m a New York Bagle and Biali kind of a gal. Like the ones that are on the denser side and less like Einsteins, would I be disappointed?
Adam, I think they added that in there to answer the n00bish questions of whether they give change or if they will be able to use the amount of the groupon that was not used in their first visit towards a future purchase, but that is only my guess, regardless it would be good to hear a response regarding this matter from someone that knows better.
I mean the groupons print out in individual papers, and what is to say that you will not give one of those groupons to someone else as a gift.
In for 5…
Is there a limit on how many groupons can be used per visit? If my husband and I go, can we each use a groupon?
The deal is for one groupon per visit but you can purchase up to 5. Just like all other groupons, if you do not use the entire amount (spend $6 for the $8 coupon), then you lose it so make sure you get a drink or chips!! Also remember that the groupon is not good for delivery or catering orders.
I have worked at CBA for 2 years and love this place. We do not microwave our bagel sandwiches, we steam them with love. Our menu can sometimes be overwhelming but we are always happy to help you decide! We get really busy on the weekends, so study our menu and be ready to order; there is no line, just step up to the counter and order from one of the 4 sandwich makers.
I love all the feedback!
Jayna
These bagel sandwiches are real tasty. I was a big fan of Bagel & Deli back in OxOH. It’s nice to get a little reminder of college here in Chicago. This is a fantastic Groupon and a pleasant Saturday morning surprise.
how long does it take for my order to be processed? i purchased this an hour ago and was expecting to be able to just print and go, but i haven’t gotten an email or any confirmation.
Looking forward to going today! But be careful… you must use all your groupons by Monday…
Um, never mind… didn’t pay attention to 2011. You’ve got a year. Sorry!
Love this deal! Looking forward to an After Burner bagel, BBQ chips & root beer…one of my favorite weekend meals!
Dissapointed in Manny’s – I finally get a chance to use my groupon this weekend and the cashier told me that the coupon wouldn’t be honored until after 4:00 – Yes, those are the terms, and they can “choose” not to honor them, however now I can “choose” not to honor them with my business at lunchtime anymore – I told the cashier to give my groupon to the homeless as I couldn’t use it. fool me once with CRAPPY TERMS, shame on me, Manny’s won’t be fooling me again for a long time – if ever.
Whoops – posted to the wrong deal – please ignore last post. – bob
I tried to buy 5 groupons at 7 am today. Saturday. It still says order being processed. Will I be Shortchanged and miss out on the deal.
Hi RB & Clay
No you won’t miss the deal! It takes anywhere from an hour to 24 hours to process your credit card so don’t worry! The processing time really depends on your bank’s response time and other factors.
@Brad – Former grad of Miami too!
Jayna
I am from a remote island territory. What is a bagel?
My Groupons were available for Printing minutes after I placed my order.
Christine L, this might help:
So if I don’t have coupon for printout even after 24 HR (7am on Sunday) what should I do . Cancel order and place it again.
@ RB, don’t cancel your order unless you’ve changed your mind about the Groupon. It takes several hours and your Groupon(s) may not be available until early Monday morning.
How can you not love a filling $3 meal – drink included! I love this deal!
This is a scam…I was just there and I paid $5 for a $9 breakfast bagel. So with the $3 you pay plus the $ 5 I saved one whole dollar ! I tried explaining to the lady at the cash register w no results . Either this is a scam or the workers at the counter don’t get it ! I won’t use Groupon again…this looks like a scam to get you in the door.
Richard L.,
My Groupon for Chicago Bagel Authority states: Redeemable after: Jan 18, 2010 at 12AM. How did you manage to save $1 on 1/17/10?
I think Richard is the one who doesn’t get it. Must be a first time Groupon user.
As for Bob’s comment on Manny’s, it was made explicitly clear that the Groupon was for dinner (4-8pm) only. Manny’s does enough lunch business as it is; they only made this offer to get people used to going there for dinner. I don’t think they’ll be missing your lunch business.
I have used this several times. My discount amounted to $1. I paid $5 for a bagel and $3 for a coupon from groupon for a total of $8 . The price on the bagel is $9. This is a scam to get you in the door. I can get a great breakfast at Nookies for $8. More importantly it is misleading or dishonest. I am trying to let people know to stay away.
Hey Richard, you still have to pay tax either way. This is a gift certificate, not a coupon. If you didn’t use the groupon, you wouldn’t have paid 9 bucks, you would have paid more. be salty if you want, but how can saving 5 dollars be saving 1? you just don’t understand how these work.
Richard,
If you’re going to call a Groupon a scam, be prepared to explain yourself! Why did you have to pay $5 when you were at CBA? Did your bill amount to $13?
Sad to see you go,
Brian
Just picked up 5 groupons – look forward to using them this summer while hanging out at the zoo/lake.
I explained it in detail. It only saves you one dollar. I purchased a $ 9 bagel, CBA charged me $5 and I gave them the groupon coupon I paid $3 for. So I saved a dollar. It’s pretty simple, the coupons are almost worthless. At best a waste of time.
According to their website, which may not be up to date, the breakfast bagel is $4.90.
What about Rebecca B.‘s statement saying the Groupon doesn’t take effect until
tomorrow?
If the Groupon were active today, why didn’t you ask to speak to the manager?
Richard, I am not understanding what happened. If your total was $9, and you gave them a groupon for $8, how did your remaining bill come to $5? It sounds like a simple mistake to me, that perhaps could have been rectified by speaking to a manager.
Richard… I have used groupon for roughly 1.5 years now, bought dozens of them, I have yet to be disappointed to that level.
In my experience when you go there and are of the first few people to go there with a groupon, the people working there do not know how to deal with the groupon, they are slower as it requires them to do different functions and sometimes they make mistakes. I just wait there patiently I am saving money either way, if they make a mistake and do not understand how it works I ask to speak with the manager and it usually gets fixed there… If that did not work, I would probably contact groupon.
In this case you were probably the first person to use the groupon because you were there when the groupon was not supposed to be active yet, it is a wonder that they even accepted the groupon in the first place… just contact groupon at support@groupon.com and let them know what happened to you, see if they can rectify the problem on their end.
to daniel, groupon hasnt been around a year and a half
yeah sorry… I just checked, first purchase was about a year ago, I counted by semesters and there was my mistake, lol
I redeemed all my groupons today at CBA. I had wanted to buy a dozen bagels to go, but you definitely can’t do that with this deal! It’s only for sandwiches and other in-house goodies & drinks. You can have these prepared to go, but don’t expect to get a dozen bagels to take home out of the deal.
I HAVE NOT BEEN DISAPPOINTED YET USING GROUPON SO I WOULD LOVE TO TRY THIS PLACE OUT…I’VE HAD NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER (KNOCK ON WOOD) SO I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE COMPLAINTS! I GUESS U CAN’T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY…BUT I AM!!
Hello groupon, I changed my order the day that this deal was offered and the changes have not been reflected on my account yet, could you please check on this, thanks.
I am really looking forward to trying their bagels.
Used our Groupons and had the best lunch. The place was packed, it was Saturday, and we still had great friendly service, served with a very tasty bagel. We will go back.
Their food is delicious but this Groupon deal stunk. The offer expired the next day – before I even had a chance to open the email. I can’t believe Groupon even sold such a limited offer
Wait, ignore that last post. It expires a full YEAR from the date I recceived it. I love CBA!
Thank you Groupon (for correcting my acct.)!!
This place was amazing! I should have gotten more!
So the owner decided this weekend that he will not accept Groupons on “weekends or holidays,” effectively rendering the CBA Groupons worthless since they expire at the end of the weekend.
Pretty awesome move to back out of a deal that he made almost a year ago.
Greg, I just signed on to complain about the same thing. I plan on emailing both Groupon, as well as the manager of CBA because the people there were not nice about it at all.
Nowhere in the fine print does it say you can’t use the Groupon on weekends or holidays.
There actually happened to be a person eating there who heard my conversation with the employees and happened to work for Groupon. She felt bad and said she was going to alert her boss.
I had planned this “bagel date” with a few girlfriends a long time ago, and it’s not our fault if the only time we can get together is on a weekend.
Kind of a BS move on the owners behalf to pretty much end the deal a couple days early by limiting it to “No Weekends or Government Holidays” ie..the next three days.
Exactly. I told them it wasn’t in the “fine print” and she said, “It’s not a Groupon policy, we made it up.”
I was just here and am kinda pissed about the ‘no weekend’ crap. We were in Chicago for the weekend and planned to eat here twice. Manager was very rude. They were not busy. I’ve emailed groupon, but that does us no good this weekend, now having to spend extra money to eat elsewhere. I hope groupon never works with this business again.
Ditto on the Groupon Weekend Fiasco. I went in there yesterday to use my remaining three Groupons and had to deal with all the crap of not being able to use the Groupon like everyone else. Walked out with my three groupons and I expect that Groupon will fix the situation.
Notice now that they are having a Re-Grand opening on 1/18 to survive the year of the Groupon – check out their website. A pure slap in the face to Groupon and its followers. Boycott….
Groupon did reimburse me for what I paid – whoopie – still had to pay more for meals I didn’t plan on. Groupon has not fixed this situation.
The same thing happened to me today. I emailed Groupon – I’m sure they’ll take care of it.
I don’t consider getting just my money back ‘fixed’.
Since the Groupon expires on 1/18, they should accept it tomorrow, right?
Just checked, and they will accept Groupons tomorrow, 1/18. I say everybody go and use your certificates just to spite them.
I had the same problem today – I always liked this place, but this obvious attempt to try to avoid paying up on their Groupons (when they probably made 5-6 figures on this deal a year ago) is extremely disappointing. Can you be any more shady than this? Very slimey behavior by CBA owners. I do not want to have to go all the way back there tomorrow to use this – I want my money back and wish I had never given one cent to this place.
Just wanted to chime in to say I’m PISSED. I saved my groupons to use today when my sisters were in town, and of course we were unable to do so. According to the CBA website, this was the worst business decision in the history of CBA. Sorry, dude, but it really isn’t our problem. I am very disappointed that groupon did not intervene and require CBA to stick to the original terms of the agreement.
To the person above who asked if the groupons could be redeemed Tuesday evening, the answer is no. The website says to come in early to redeem the groupons, as they are having an “end of the groupon year” party starting at 6.
Groupon, is there anything else you can do for us? I took time out of my day only to be turned away by this shady business owner who was refusing to honor your contract. I would love to see you take legal action against the jerk.
Also, I would encourage everyone to make their experiences known on yelp or whatever review site you prefer…..
A dream come true….