Doolin’s

I’m an ambassador for a clothing rental company and, as such, I was tasked with hosting a party for our Chicago-​area members. My contact at the company sent me some balloons and some money to get the balloons inflated. I needed a location within walking distance of my apartment and Doolin’s was it. I showed up, picked out a few extra «accent» balloons, and went to the counter. The staff was so helpful and had great suggestions on the best way to arrange the balloons. They asked all the questions I hadn’t even thought about (what color bases, what color ribbon, etc) and even put the balloon arrangements into bags so I could carry them home without me even asking! It’s like they read my mind.
They really know what they’re doing at Doolin’s! I will be using them for all my future party needs and am already telling all my friends about them, too.
The only downside is that they’re only open until 5PM which means you might need to take off work a bit early if you need to get there during a weekday.

Everyone is being very helpful! You just can tell it’s not all about money, it’s about they want you to get what you need and have a good time. Have bought party supplies from Doolin’s twice already and will keep coming back!

I’m writing this review for my mom, who was in charge of ordering balloons for my wedding. Doolin’s was so incredibly personal, helpful, and communicative in assisting my mom in selecting balloons for the wedding.
Picking balloons is difficult! Doolin’s sent her home with samples for my review (glitter inside of clear balloons looks AWESOME), sent her pictures of different balloon options (we needed to cover a wall-​mounted TV in a private room at our venue), and suggested some fun mylar letter balloons for our DIY photobooth station (XOXO and B&B [our initials] in giant silver mylar ballons, SO MUCH FUN).
Doolin’s was also precise in making recommendations for what we needed. They sent us to the venue to take measurements in order to confirm we ordered and received exactly the right amount of balloons, no more, no less.
And, they delivered the balloons on time to exactly where they needed to be.
Mrs. Doolin (Chris?) worked so hard to make sure my mom and I were happy with our balloons, and we absolutely were. Balloons aren’t normally something that guests really notice at wedding, but family and friends all complimented the balloons, even calling dibs on taking them home!
Mom and I both highly recommend Doolin’s for all your balloon and party needs!

I have used Doolins for all family birthday gatherings for 10+ years. Best service and the balloons last several days. As my grandchildren got older they got to go with me and pick balloon colors. I retired two months ago and moved to Evanston. I drove to downtown Chicago today to get balloons for June Birthday celebration. I knew it was worth the drive as the balloons were perfect!

I wasn’t sure on what I needed to help celebrate my Mother in law’s birthday, the staff was so friendly and helpful with really creative ideas ! My wife and her parents still like me, what more can a guy ask for? Thanks for all of your help !!!

THE SPOT for anyone who needs a balloon inflated at 9 in the morning. #1 store in Chicago

OK, this started really well, as when I called for a wedding reservations (chairs and tables) the person on the phone was really nice. Everything after that went bad though… TERRIBLE COMMUNICATION ISSUES within the company!!!
They asked me to go and pay in person (afraid of fraud!) and after I did it took them over a week to find the proof that I paid (and 3 phone calls). They also had the delivery address wrong, two delivery dates. The products ended up coming to the right address and at the right time, but it was very STRESSFUL!!! Cherry on top: The delivery company came to pick up the items from our home address instead of the wedding location address, because Doolins had given them the wrong information… Honestly, I dont know how they stay in business with such terrible paperwork problems… Too bad, because they are nice people!

Doolin’s some how seems to always be the place that has what is needed, no matter how obscure the request, and most often than others comes through in a pinch. Need a bunch of helium balloons quick — done. Need a couple extra banquet tables, no problem — they got it. They are nearby just west of downtown too, so delivery is quick and at a fair fee, especially if you are near west loop area.

Family owned on Halsted for decades, better prices than the big chain party supply places, with a solid selection, and unbelievably friendly service. Needed party supplies, rental chairs, and balloons for a small child’s birthday party on short notice. There were four stores closer but still went to Doolin’s because the service can’t be beat.

Really love Doolin’s — it’s a great place to find your party needs and they have that great small business feel.
I’m glad we are just right up the street from them because we always make it a point to go there first.

The people there are most friendly! I brought my little 11 month old with me today to get things for her 1 year birthday. The lady there immediately filled up a balloon for her to keep her entertained during our shopping. She also gave me great advice on what to get and how to save money. She is so genuinely caring and nice. The selection of balloons there are great. There are about 5 different shades of pink! My only «complaint» is that I wish they open longer on weekends and on Sunday too. A lot of people have parties on weekends and they might want to pick up something last minute? Doolin’s can take a day off during the week? That way, Doolin’s will make more money and customers will be happier with their Sunday parties!

For some reason, I can just get lost in a store like Party City. I’ve driven past this place more times than I can count and always thought it was a bar… WRONG! It’s a party store!
My co worker suggested we take the blue line over to this place to pick up Mardi Gras & St. Patricks Day decorations for work. As soon as we got off the blue line I told her I’ve seen this place many times, I just didn’t know it was a party store.
This place has everything you need, and from what I was told… if they don’t have it, ask, they just might have it in the back, or can point you in the right direction. Even being in the city, everything was reasonably priced. From olympics themed decorations to yards of table cloth (in a variety of designs & colors) to everything Bingo, this place really has it all!!!
The staff and owner were super nice and super helpful as well. Doolin’s is THE PLACE for your party needs for you city folk! :)

I needed some party supplies on very short notice, and they delivered them quickly and were really helpful. Their customer service was above and beyond.

I love to party! Sometimes when we have parties or family gatherings it dawns on me usually a day or two before that I need chairs and tables. Enter Doolins! They are amazing with those last minute party needs. I’ve used them several times for both chairs and table and I have not been disappointed. I do notice that they are so much more than just a table and chair rental place so I plan to go here for my party needs as well.

An excellent party store. Great for getting balloons and renting tables and chairs. There prices for rentals are so much more affordable then other companies. They went above and beyond customer service. When I asked the owner if the balloons could be filled with confetti before inflated, she spent a lot of time with me figuring out the best method to do this, and even adding high float so that the confetti would stick to the sides of the balloon. She definitely went out of her way to do this. This is a great family owned business and the next time I need party supplies I will definitely head to Doolins.

Getting balloons delivered for a 2 year old bday party turned out to be way more difficult & expensive than expected. After calling a few of the big chain party stores my husband suggested I try Doolins. Duh– why didn’t I think of that? I placed the call, scheduled the delivery, which was way more reasonably priced than the other few places I found that do deliver and promised myself I would never step into a Party City again.
A few days later I made good on my promise and stopped in Doolins to get some last minute necessary supplies for the bash. I made the mistake of taking my 2 year old along who picked every Halloween, Thanksgiving, Sweet 16, etc decoration off the shelf. Fortunately, the folks who work at Doolins are super friendly and didn’t seem to mind my crazy toddler.
In the past month I’ve been back to Doolins two more times. I was smarter on return trips and left the kiddo at home… and am always in and out of there within minutes because the staff is great at helping me find everything I need.

We ended up using Doolin’s because it was in the city and unlike the rental place we had been using, they didn’t have a bunch of hoops we needed to jump through (minimum rental, cash only, blah blah blah).
On top of all that, my son was with me on a pick and they gave him a ballon. Now that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when a business notices a small child it means something. Most businesses would be complaining about him getting in the way, or just step over him like he wasn’t there. I like a business that cares.

Best balloons I’ve found! Seriously. Not only do they have a decent selection of color choices, but the balloons look great when blown up. I mentioned this place to my boss when she was getting ready for a 1^st birthday party. I made a comment a few days after the party about how great they are at blowing up balloons and she replied immediately with an «I know!!» It might sound silly, but some places just don’t know how to blow them up properly.
Now, the store is not big so certain sections are limited, but it’s worth a trip here. Chances are if you can’t find that particular item elsewhere, Doolin’s will have it. Certain staff members were really helpful and friendly, others, not so much. Overall, this is a great little party supply store to stop in at least once. If you don’t find anything, just know they blow up balloons perfectly and if you’re buying them there, they have a nice selection of colors.

I get the worst party planning award. This week, I’m doing an NYE party, but haven’t planned an inch of it. I’ve maybe thought about the food we’ll serve and that’s about it. After realizing that I’m totally procrastinating on the whole decorations aspect, I head over to Doolin’s on my way home.
Doolin’s is a party planning mecca. They have everything from New Year’s Eve decorations to baby shower to birthdays. I love that they have all colors of tablecloths, napkins, and cutlery for parties. I’ll be back for future wedding showers I’ll throw next year. Their selection is awesome and affordable. I found party hats, decorations, and champagne flutes almost instantly walking through the door. Their staff is so helpful and laid back. As I struggled down the aisles with arms full of party hats, confetti, and decorations, one of the staff members grabbed me a basket for my purchases.
In less than a half hour later, I had all of my NYE decorations in tow. Yeah for Doolin’s and their amazing selection of party goods! Thanks for helping a procrastinator out!

Who doesn’t love a little dress up? Ok, scratch that, sounds a little weird. Who doesn’t love cheesey costumes and all the fun details that go with theme parties? I know I’m a big fan!
My best friend came to visit for a weekend and, rather than do the Chicago norm, we decided to make a themed photo scavenger hunt of it instead. Doolin’s, we couldn’t have done it without you! For under $ 20, we got two sailor hats (see profile pic), a firefighter rubber ducky, two plastic toy sailboats, and a giant button. Cuz it was sparkly.
The staff could not have been nicer. Faster, yes. Nicer, no. I would definitely come back here if I were planning a party or any other kind of event that I wanted decorations for (especially Saturday morning photo scavenger hunts). Love it!