luvvyamy: Import from Cheese-E-Pedia revision 274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854

2026-10-03T07:32:09Z

Import from Cheese-E-Pedia revision 274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854

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{| 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:Zapp's Bar & Grill (5).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
| 1983-05 – 1993-08-17
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Tags
| Pizza Time Theatre
|-
! style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; width:35%;" | Contributors
| sudo-trans-pony
|}

'''''Zapp's Bar & Grill''''', (Also known as '''''Zapp's Cabaret'''''<ref name="cep8">[https://forum.cheeseepedia.org/t/zapps-cabaret-canadian-location-discovered/420 forum.cheeseepedia.org]</ref> in Canada) was a small chain of barcades spread across the US and Canada- mostly consisting of former [[Pizza Time Theatre]] locations from May of 1983 to August of 1993. Between 1984-1985 the company was sold or spun-off to not be part of the PTT brand.<ref name="cep31">[https://dn721502.ca.archive.org/0/items/showbizpizza.com-website-archive-2021/info/documents/ptt/ptt_annualreport1983_text.pdf dn721502.ca.archive.org]</ref><ref name="cep13">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bradenton-herald-cec-4420-14th-brade/201604471/ newspapers.com]</ref> The bar concept would later be continued by [[Chuck E. Cheese's]] in 2001 with [[TJ Hartford's Sports Grille]].

== Confusion With Gilbert Zapp's ==

The chain commonly gets confused with '''''Gilbert Zapp's World Tour''''', sometimes shortened to '''''Gilbert Zapp's'''''.<ref name="cep14">[https://chucke.fandom.com/wiki/Zapp%27s_Bar_%26_Grill chucke.fandom.com]</ref> Gilbert Zapp's was formerly '''''Stan Becker's The Prune Pit''''' which opened in January of 1979 in at ''Campbell, CA (30 S. Central Ave)'' before becoming '''''The Bodega''''' in August of that year. The Bodega would continue with its bar and weekend live shows until being remodeled into Gilbert Zapp's in September of 1982. The location would continue into the early 1990's before closing.<ref name="cep16">[https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanJoseHistory/posts/3965427020255169/ facebook.com]</ref>

Gilbert Zapp's had no relation to Pizza Time Theatre or the ''Zapp's Bar & Grill'' brand despite one of the locations being open nearby in Cupertino. No mentions of a Campbell location were ever made when PTT discussed Zapp's. ''Gilbert Zapp's Incorporated'' was started by Dennis Nino in 1979, while ''Zapp's Bar & Grill Inc.'' was ran by Jack Campbell of Pizza Time Theatre corporate in October of 1983.<ref name="cep26">[https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/corporationsearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=PreviousList&searchNameOrder=ZAPPSBARGRILL+8579670&aggregateId=forp-857967-344e3d65-9552-4ae6-b8ec-b93c2fa6dfce&searchTerm=ZAPPY+ENTERPRISES,+LLC&listNameOrder=ZAPPRODUCTIONS+P090000641510 search.sunbiz.org]</ref><ref name="cep27">[https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/1140483 opencorporates.com]</ref><ref name="cep28">[https://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Campbell/gilbert-zapps-incorporated/40402072.aspx corporationwiki.com]</ref>

== Wolfman Zapp Animatronic ==

An unknown amount of Zapp's locations, possibly all of them, came with a [[Wolfman Zapp (Cyberamic)]] as their retrofit of the existing Chuck E. Cheese cyberamic character. The animatronic came in multiple styles and iterations, with only the [[Reno, NV (651 E Moana Lane)]] store being linked to a particular bot given its use in a parade in Reno in 2015. No marketing or interviews ever mention the animatronic, or if any of the other [[Cyberamics]] made appearances in Zapp's locations. It is also unclear if the animatronic was for display or had a showtape set up, though parts and cosmetics for the bot could be ordered in a catalogue for maintenance, suggesting at least some use of animation.<ref name="cep3">[https://showbizpizza.com/info/documents/ptt/ptt_cyberamicspartsmanual.pdf showbizpizza.com]</ref>

== History ==

The first Zapp's would open in the former Pizza Time Theatre at [[Cupertino, CA (975 S De Anza Blvd)]] in May of 1983.<ref name="cep30">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-zapps-bar-and-grill/174113485/ newspapers.com]</ref> The location was noted as wanting to create the "...same kind of video dining fantasy land that has made the company's chain of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants one of the USA's hottest businesses...". The goal would be targeting the 25-35 year old crowd that frequented T.G.I. Friday's and Bennigan's Tavern. Gene Landrum would be guiding the brand, while Jack Campbell is also noted under the subdivision.<ref name="cep28" /><ref name="cep30" /> The location is noted as having over 100 games, but only a quarter being video arcades, with the rest being items such as pool, shuffleboard, chess, darts, and backgammon. Private rooms are also provided with curtains. These rooms provide a telephone, a TV, and a big red button to summon a waitress.<ref name="cep30" />

On July 11th, 1983, Pizza Time Theatre would note plans to open a location in Tampa and Dallas, with plans 3 months out to decide whether to expand the chain into a "full-fledged operation".<ref name="cep30" /> It is likely the Dallas store was of Dallas, TX (8021 Walnut Hill Lane), as a mention of the Zapp's is being "Across town..." from the first Dave & Busters, which was in Dallas, TX (2481 Manana Dr). The other candidate PTT is Dallas, TX (2905 Forest Lane), but that location is only 3 miles away from the D&B.

=== Captain Zapp ===
In a December 1983 ad for the [[Reno, NV (651 E Moana Lane)]] location, a light-haired character would appear in a superhero outfit with sunglasses and a 'Z' printed on their shirt. In January of 1984 "Captain Zapp" is mentioned as a new mascot for the arcade portion of the brand. However, this character is mentioned as having dark hair and a mustache, with no mentions of the superhero attire.<ref name="cep12">[https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_2_Number_04_1984-01_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n13/mode/2up?q=zapp%27s archive.org]</ref>

=== Bankruptcy ===

After [[Pizza Time Theatre]] filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March of 1984, an interview with Nolan Bushnell would mention Zapp's in May, where he would note the brand was for 21-35 year olds. He noted "city fathers" not liking the concept which forced the brand outside of larger city areas. He also mentioned only 4 stores opened, "Tampa, San Jose, Dallas, Reno..." and one opening soon in Boulder, CO., likely in the then or soon to be closed Pizza Time Theatre at Boulder, CO (633 S Broadway).<ref name="cep6">[https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_2_Number_08_1984-05_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n69/mode/2up archive.org]</ref> There is no evidence for if a Zapp's in Boulder ever eventually opened.

The company would note later in June during discussions of the sale of Pizza Time Theatre locations that it had Zapp's "on the block" alongside other divisions of the company.<ref name="cep13" /> The 1983 annual report for the company, filed some time after March of 1984, also mentions "The sale of Zapp's is currently being negotiated and will also be subject to Court approval."<ref name="cep30" />

=== Post-PTT Sale ===

Zapp's was either sold or spun-off as an independent company before Pizza Time Theatre's merger with ShowBiz Pizza Place completed in May of 1985. ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc.'s earliest known 1989 annual report mentions nothing of Zapp's despite locations still being open at the time.<ref name="cep31" /> Post-sale would see the opening of the Fremont and Kelowna stores.

The company would close on August 17, 1993.<ref name="cep27" />

== Locations ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Address !! Dates !! Former PTT?
|-
| [[Cupertino, CA (975 S De Anza Blvd)]] || May 1983 - Unknown || Yes
|-
| [[Tampa, FL (2363 E. Fowler Ave)]]<ref name="cep5">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-zapps-bar-grill-off/161267182/ newspapers.com]</ref> || October 1983 - Sometime after July 1985 || Yes
|-
| [[Reno, NV (651 E Moana Lane)]] || December 1983 - Summer 1986 || Yes
|-
| Dallas, TX (8021 Walnut Hill Lane) || 1983 - Last mentioned 1995 || Yes
|-
| Boulder, CO (633 S Broadway) || Unclear if ever reopened || Yes
|-
| Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada || Mentioned in 1988, says closed by 1991 || No
|-
| Fremont, CA (44350 S Grimmer Blvd)<ref name="cep29">[https://www.newspapers.com/image/779678693/?match=4&terms=44350%20S%20Grimmer%20Zapp newspapers.com]</ref> || Mentioned in 1991 || No
|}

== 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].

Zapp's Bar & Grill - Revision history

luvvyamy: Import from Cheese-E-Pedia revision 274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854