I'm finally getting around to writing a review for TuTugether Sacramento, and I have mixed feelings…read moreafter visiting twice.
My first visit was with my boyfriend, and we had a genuinely great experience. I made a reservation the day before for two small rugs, and there were plenty of time slots available. When we arrived, the session went smoothly. The space itself is a mix of rug tufting and deco-den, with around a dozen tufting stations and a large table in the center for other crafts. It is a bit tight, especially with merchandise displayed near the front, but it still felt fun and creative.
The activity took longer than expected, but we had a great time trying something new. My only critique from that first visit was that instruction was pretty minimal. The staff gave us the basics but didn't go into much detail or offer many tips--we mostly figured things out ourselves as we went.
Because of that positive first experience, I brought my sisters for a second visit, expecting something similar. Unfortunately, this visit was very disappointing and really highlighted major issues with customer service.
We arrived around 1:45 PM on a Saturday as a party of three. The store was busier than my first visit, but not full--there were still about 8-9 open tufting stations, and online reservations were still available. When we walked in, we went straight to the register and waited about 5-10 minutes without any acknowledgment, despite making eye contact with two employees working up front.
Eventually, one employee asked if we had been helped. When I asked about availability for three people, she responded bluntly, "Absolutely not... it's really busy," and told us to come back later or book online--then immediately turned away from us. This was confusing, given the visible open stations and available booking slots online.
To test this, I stepped outside and booked a reservation for 2:30 PM--just 20 minutes later. While we were waiting outside, we could clearly see that same employee sitting at a tufting station working on what appeared to be her own personal project. At that point, it felt less like they were "too busy" and more like she simply didn't want to help us or clear her station.
When we returned, a different employee (who was much more helpful) checked us in with no issue. Ironically, she had to ask that same employee to clean up her station so we could be seated--confirming that space had been available the entire time. I also overheard her mention that she "wasn't sure what to do," so she told us to come back later, which honestly just reinforced how dismissive the earlier interaction was.
On top of that, we were seated in a very hot area with direct sunlight, even though there were other open spots. It made the experience uncomfortable, and while the staff did acknowledge the heat, it didn't seem like much effort was made to relocate us.
To end on a positive note, our rugs turned out really cute--but that was mostly due to our own effort. The pricing is also something to consider: small rugs are $88+tax, and there's a $20 deposit per rug online. It also felt like tax was applied twice (once on the deposit and again on the final payment), which was frustrating.
Overall, I think this is a fun experience to try at least once, especially if you're looking for something creative and different. However, the inconsistency in service--especially during my second visit--really left a bad impression. The staff came across as inexperienced and disengaged, and it didn't feel like customer experience was a priority.
I probably wouldn't return and would look into other tufting studios in the Sacramento area instead.