‘That’s genuinely evil’: Chicago woman checks $400 Patagonia coat at restaurant. Then they give it to someone else
Imagine shelling out $400 for a coat to brave Chicago’s winter, only for it to be given away for free without you knowing. To make matters worse, management initially refuses to give any reimbursement or apology.
One woman is being forced to withstand below-zero temperatures through no fault of her own. On New Year’s Eve, she went for dinner and paid the restaurant’s coat check. However, upon leaving, she found out that her coat had already been given to someone else.
Now the internet is teaming up to help this woman find some relief after a month of no luck. The easy part is that the restaurant cannot hide. Now everyone wants to avoid Grapes and Grains in Chicago.
What Happened to Her Coat?
Gigi (@freckles_g) has taken it upon herself to share one woman’s story. She believes the woman needs help and uploaded a TikTok to spread awareness and possibly get the ball rolling. After all, it’s been an entire month since the woman has been trying to get the ordeal fixed. Gigi’s clip has 763,000 views in just five days of being posted.
Gigi begins by saying she found the story on Reddit and asked the original poster if she could share. Apparently, the story starts on New Year’s Eve when the Redditor went to have dinner at Grapes and Grains. There, she paid $5 for a coatcheck to guard her $400 Patagonia coat.
When going back to collect it, they reportedly told her the coat had already been given to someone else. Luckily, she had an AirTag in it and saw that the location showed Elmwood Park, Illinois. Unfortunately, the woman had neither a car to go find it nor money to buy a new coat. One might think, well, contact the authorities. The Redditor did do so, and they basically told her to “go [expletive] yourself.”
What Did the Restaurant Management Say?
Gigi is sharing all this as she has the Reddit post in a greenscreen background behind her. Viewers can read the original post, but as of writing, the post has been brought down by moderators due to doxxing since the Redditor named the manager. However, with Gigi’s retelling and screenshot, viewers find out the restaurant’s response.
After hitting a dead-end with the police, the woman reportedly decides to go back to the restaurant and ask for reimbursement. In the post, she mentions she only makes $20/hr, so she cannot afford to buy another coat. To make matters worse, the January weather temperatures for Chicago are in the single digits. As she goes and asks for reimbursement, the manager refuses. The Redditor notes that he was an “insufferable [expletive] to me and almost made me cry.”
Gigi adamantly says, “This is bordering on diabolically evil. She is paying you to watch her coat and you didn’t fulfill that promise… so pay for this girl’s [expletive] coat.”
The Original Reddit Post
As previously stated, the Reddit post Gigi references has been deleted by mods, but the thread still exists. In this thread, the woman provides more context surrounding the situation. One Redditor advises her to chargeback her credit card to get the money she spent that night back.
She replies, “It was a ticketed event through eventbrite so i cant :( they wouldnt even refund the $5 for coat check lol.”
Another Redditor suggests that the restaurant should have insurance, similar to valets. Her reply: “Right?? thats what i asked too, im like yall dont have insurance?? they said weeks ago they would pay me when they cut their payroll checks, and when i followed up it was ghost city. im pretty sure they blocked me.”
Other Redditors say they will review-bomb the restaurant, and if one checks on Yelp, there are various reviews mentioning the coat situation. The website has locked reviews for the time being.
The Update
Two days after Gigi uploads her TikTok, she posts an update. Apparently, the woman reached out and said there has finally been a breakthrough. How did she do it? According to the Redditor, she says she found the restaurant’s owner’s Instagram and DMed him.
The woman says that with the help of Gigi’s viral clip, the owner was super apologetic and claimed he had no idea about what was happening. She suggests his behavior may be due to TikTok or because they were being “ripped to shreds.”
She says she received a $500 amount via Zelle and immediately went to buy a coat.
“It’s very nice that they gave her the money a month later but if you only do the right thing after 200,000 people call you out for being [expletive], then it doesn’t really count,” Gigi says, “That’s damage control at that point.”
What did viewers think?
Some viewers are quick to spin possible conspiracies. One says, “$20 says an employee has it.” While another reiterates, “I bet an employee has it or sold it.”
Others are quick to provide legal advice. One viewer says, “This is what small claims court is for.”
“This is a legal contract known as a bailment, they absolutely owe her for it,” says another. A second one shares, “She can sue and for that amount I would.” Gigi replies, “She’s trying to go through small claims now but like, it’s cold today??? They suck.”
Naturally, some viewers have questions and opinions. One says, “Here’s an idea dont buy a damn $400 coat.” Gigi responds, “Most coats that can hold up to Chicago conditions are $400 AT MINIMUM.”
One viewer asks if the coat check didn’t issue any tickets for items. Gigi replies, “Oh they do they just apparently didn’t check them.”
Another group of viewers also takes it upon themselves to help. One shares, “I called them and asked whoever answered if they knew what bailment was and they immediately hung up lol.”
Another says, “They turned the comments off on Instagram haha.”
@freckles_g Don’t go to grapes and grains anymore ? #chicago #chicagorestaurants #chicagofood #chicagotiktok #chicagobears ♬ original sound – Gigi
The Mary Sue reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and to Grapes and Grains via email.
Update Feb. 9, 2026:
In an email to the Mary Sue, a spokesperson for Grapes and Grains shared that management disputes the “suggestion that the matter was ignored or handled unfairly.”
“After the guest reported her jacket missing, she requested reimbursement for a higher-value jacket than originally described, as well as for an AirTag,” they wrote. “The AirTag request raised questions as to whether the jacket may have been recovered, requiring additional time to verify the situation with staff.”
However, the spokesperson says communication was delayed as the TikToker was traveling abroad and dealingwith some family medical issues, which added to limited emailing during that time.
“Toward the end of the month, the guest reached out directly via Instagram in a polite and constructive manner, contrary to her emails to managers, which was forceful and demanding,” the spokesperson said. “Management immediately followed up internally, confirmed the details, and issued reimbursement for the cost of the jacket. As a gesture of goodwill, an additional $100 was also provided for the delay and AirTag she had said was in the jacket although not tracked.”
In conclusion, the TikToker expressed their thanks and “the matter was resolved at that time.”
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