View source for TJ Hartford's Sports Grille

{| class="wikitable cep-infobox" style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1.5em; width:24em; max-width:100%;"
! colspan="2" | Source metadata
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[File:TJ Hartford's Sports Grille - April 2003 Logo.avif|frameless|300px]]
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Type
| Companies/Brands
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Dates
| 2001-10-01 – 2008-02-17
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Tags
| Chuck E. Cheese's
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Contributors
| sudo-trans-pony
|}

'''''TJ Hartford's Grill & Bar''''' (Formerly '''''TJ Hartford's Sports Grille''''') was a single restaurant and company created by CEC Corporate on October 1, 2001 and lasting to February 17, 2008.<ref name="cep9">[https://web.archive.org/web/20020605030127fw_/http://www.tjhartfords.com/company.html web.archive.org]</ref><ref name="cep1">[https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/c/NYSE_CEC_2007.pdf annualreports.com]</ref> The only location was located at [[Lewisville, TX (1960 S Stemmons Fwy)]].

== History ==

TJ Hartford's would begin as a concept within CEC Corporate to grow their restaurant business. As a juxtaposition to Chuck E. Cheese's children-centered marketing strategy, TJ's would appeal to an adult demographic by being a large contemporary dining restaurant- including a bar and multiple dozen TV's scattered throughout the building for sports entertainment. CEC Corporate considered TJ's to be '-a new expansion vehicle to compliment our future growth strategy'.<ref name="cep9" />
The company would be created as ''TJH Restaurant Group, Inc.'' in 2001. The first location would open on October 1, 2001<ref name="cep1" />, though another source also states September 2001- possibly a soft opening.<ref name="cep2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20020209004806/http://dfw.citysearch.com/E/V/DALTX/0233/22/17/cs1.html web.archive.org]</ref> The restaurant would feature arcade games for additional entertainment, crafting special tokens for the machines. At some point the company would switch to quarters for play.<ref name="cep3">[https://www.showbizpizza.com/ceccollect/related/index.html showbizpizza.com]</ref>
Plans to open a second TJ's in 2002 would be considered, but never materialized.<ref name="cep4">[https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/c/NYSE_CEC_2001.pdf annualreports.com]</ref>**

=== Rebrand ===

By April of 2003 the company's logo would change from a more fancy design to a rougher bolder look, alongside its name changed from ''TJ Hartford's Grill & Bar'' to ''TJ Hartford's Sports Grille.'' The company's website would also be given a brighter and flashier look, now with the slogan 'The Grill is on.' <ref name="cep5">[https://web.archive.org/web/20041129040954/http://tjhartfords.com/ web.archive.org]</ref>

=== Marketing Changes ===

By mid-June of 2004, the company would reduce the cost for playing its arcade games from a quarter down to a nickel. A kids menu would also now be featured in the restaurant, alongside Happy Hour drink specials.<ref name="cep6">[https://web.archive.org/web/20040614141124/http://tjhartfords.com:80/ web.archive.org]</ref> By November 29th of 2004 the company would begin offering fundraising parties for companies, where 10% of proceeds from food purchased would be given to the organization. By November 4th of 2006, the location would now offer late night specials.<ref name="cep7">[https://web.archive.org/web/20061104111142/http://www.tjhartfords.com:80/ web.archive.org]</ref>

=== Closure ===

The store would close on February 17, 2008.<ref name="cep1" /> The location, its equipment, and its land would sell in April of 2008 for $1.3 million. In connection with the sale, a $0.8 million grain was also had with 'Other operating expenses'.<ref name="cep8">[https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/c/NYSE_CEC_2008.pdf annualreports.com]</ref>

== Corporate Staff ==

'' ''Joe Elliott* - Director of Menu Development<ref name="cep1" />
** Former head of product development for T.G.I. Fridays
'' ''Richard M. Frank* - Chairman & Chief Executive Officer<ref name="cep1" />
'' ''Jon M. Rice* - VP of Marketing<ref name="cep1" />
** Also the VP of Marketing for CEC itself, both lasting till 2005.

== References ==
<references />

== Import provenance ==
Imported from [https://github.com/The64thGamer/cheeseepedia/tree/274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854 Cheese-E-Pedia] at source revision <code>274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854</code>. Source material is provided under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ CC BY-SA 4.0].