San Jose, CA (370 S Winchester Blvd) was the first Pizza Time Theatre that opened on May 17th, 1977, as apart of Warner Communications Inc, and closed in February of 1985.
Transcript: San Jose, CA (370 S Winchester Blvd) was the first Pizza Time Theatre that opened on May 17th, 1977, as a part of Warner Communications Inc., and closed in February of 1985. Stage: Winchester opened with a show consisting of Chuck E. Cheese, Crusty the Cat and Jasper T. Jowls in portrait frames. Pasqually, the chef behind kitchen doors and the Warblettes were also featured on their platform. Scattered on shelves throughout the room would be the Pizza Time Orchestra, the Clapper Board, and various other objects. A more advanced bot, Helen Henny, would be delivered to the store on August 12, 1977. She would be replaced by Madam Oink in February 1978, and Foxy Colleen followed in October 1978. Around June of 1978, upgraded versions of Crusty and Chuck E. Cheese with more movements would be installed. As shown in 1979 footage, the store's bots were not maintained often. Between 1980-1981, Winchester would replace their bots with Cyberamics. History: The development of Winchester as a location dates back to 1976 under the name 'The Big Cheese', 'Pizza Game Center', etc. The venue was planned to be a 6,000-square-foot venue with 2 arcades and a casino lounge. A total of $43,106 worth of games and rides were proposed alongside the Mood Box and a Theatre Program. The second location (later being San Jose, CA (1371 Kooser Rd)) was also being planned alongside Winchester at the time. The spot chosen would be a 5,000-square-foot building that Security Pacific Bank was moving out of. Drafts for a remodel of the building would be completed by December 22, 1976. (1) By January 18th, 1977, the plans for Winchester were sent to the County of Santa Clara and were approved with minor changes suggested by the county. On March 3rd, The Planning Commission gave the go-ahead to Warner Communications Inc. to begin construction. (2) The Kooser Road store was also being proposed around this time, having its location voted on by the Planning Commission of San Jose. Opening An ad campaign was launched in local newspapers and radio stations weeks before opening to generate hype. Winchester would host a series of press preview parties days before the public opening where select members of the press and VIP members were invited out to see Winchester early. On May 17th, 1977, Winchester opened to the public for the first time and became an instant hit amongst the local community. (3) Most people rarely saw working animatronics outside of Disneyland, creating a novelty that drew visitors in. Often on weekends, the place would be at max capacity with a line outside reaching around the sidewalk. Post-Opening As time moved on, Winchester would receive a large amount of guests visiting every weekend, having their facility at max capacity most of the weekends. In September of 1977, a new menu and game-room carpets were added to the store. When Kooser opened in 1978, a large majority of potential and current Pizza Time Theatre customers moved to the bigger and updated store. Although Winchester still had a sizable guest count and loyal patrons, new guests were few and far between. Four Corners would do a news report with Gene Landrum inside the Winchester building in late 1979. (4) On September 11th, 1981, Winchester would receive the 1981 remodel. The estimated cost of the changes would amount to 4,500 dollars. Closure Around February 1985, Winchester would close permanently for unknown reasons, however, it can be attributed towards the slow decline of guests over the years. The building would remain vacant. By November 12, 1986, the building's owner had changed to Lim Yee, who had planned to open a new Chinese restaurant named 'Ocean Harbor Chinese Seafood at the vacant Winchester plot. (5) It would take several years of development with the renovation (including the interior and exterior) before being approved for occupancy (and assumedly subsequently opened) on April 19, 1987. (6)(7) It would remain open during the 90's, closing at an unknown date. (8) In 2002, the building was demolished alongside the rest of Town and Country Village. The former plot of land is now entirely a road in the middle of a shopping centre.
