San Jose, California (370 S Winchester Blvd) Store #1 was a Pizza Time Theatre store in California, located at 370 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128, USA.
The store is notable for being the very first Pizza Time Theatre that ever opened, being followed by the Kooser Road location on December 2, 1978. Winchester closed in February 1985, as a result of the 1984 bankruptcy that shut down many Pizza Time Theatre locations. The building sat abandoned for years, before being made into a Chinese buffet. The buffet closed soon before the building was demolished in 2002. The site is now occupied by the Santana Row shopping center. They had the first portrait stage.
History[]
Prehistory (1976-1977)[]
The Winchester store dates back to around 1976 under the name "The Big Cheese", before the name "Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre" was thought up. Drafts for a building remodel would be completed by December 22, 1976. On January 18, 1977, the plans were sent to Santa Clara County, and they made minor changes. The commission would allow Warner Communications to begin construction on March 3. It took around 2 months to build, concluding in May. The Kooser store would also begin development around this time.
Opening (May 17, 1977)[]
The Winchester store would begin to advertise opening campaigns across San Jose, and specific people were invited to see Winchester before the grand opening. On May 17, 1977, the location opened to the public for the very first time, kickstarting the Chuck E. Cheese's brand.
After Opening (1977-February 1985)[]
The location wouldn't see major updates for a couple of months. Around September, they received new game room carpet and added a new menu. In around 1980 or 1981, the original Portrait Bots were replaced with Cyberamics. During the time period of September 11, 1981, the location received a standard PTT remodel, changing the exterior and removed all older decor. Not much is known about Winchester from this point forward. In February 1985, the store would close permanently due to underperformance and the bankruptcy that occurred 11 months prior.
Post-Closure (1985-Present Day)[]
The location would remain abandoned until April 1987, when it would become a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant would remain open for an unknown period of time until it would close down. In 2002, the building was ultimately demolished along with the rest of the shopping center it was in, and was replaced by the Santana Row shopping center.
Interior[]
The store, at the time of opening, had many arcade games, most being from Atari. The games they likely had, were standard at the time arcade games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Pong, and various other arcade games. The store also likely had some physical games too, like the Chuck E. Cheese Carousel, and likely some standard kiddie rides. The building itself appeared to be quite small, and only had a few large rooms, the Cabaret was nowhere to be seen, as it would be Kooser who would get it.
The stage that Winchester had at opening, was none other than The Shelf. At the time Winchester opened, Chuck E. Cheese and Crusty the Cat, a later retired character who was exclusive to Winchester, had less advanced designs that likely had very few movements. Pasqually was also placed above the kitchen behind a set of doors to announce when orders were ready. This placement and idea was retired immediately, due to pizzas being churned out incredibly quickly, because the store was popular when it opened. In 1978, Chuck E. Cheese and Crusty the Cat were given newer, more advanced animatronics, with many more movements.
Animatronics[]
| Animatronic | Manufacturing Date | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|
| Winchester Chuck E. Cheese V1 (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Chuck E. Cheese V2 (Animatronic) | Summer 1978 | Owned by Travis Schafer |
| Winchester Crusty the Cat V1 (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Crusty the Cat V2 (Animatronic) | Summer 1978 | Owned by Travis Schafer |
| Winchester Pasqually (Animatronic) | 1977 | Destroyed |
| Winchester Jasper T. Jowls (Animatronic) | 1977 | Destroyed |
| Winchester Helen Henny (Animatronic) | 8/12/1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Madam Oink (Animatronic) | February 1978 | Unknown |
| Winchester Foxy Colleen (Animatronic) | October 1978 | Unknown |
| Winchester Warblettes (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Pizza Time Orchestra (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Flag Wavers (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Winchester Applause Board (Animatronic) | 1977 | Unknown. |
| Chuck E. Cheese (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current wareabouts unknown. |
| Jasper T. Jowls (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current wareabouts unknown.. |
| Mr. Munch (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current wareabouts unknown. |
| Pasqually (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current wareabouts unknown. |
| Guest Star / Helen Henny (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current wareabouts unknown.. |
| Warblettes (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sold off in the store's auction. Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Applause Board (Cyberamic) | 1980 | Sent to Pleasanton, CA. Whereabouts unknown. |
