uWink, Inc.
TypePublic
Nasdaq: UWKI
Industry
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderNolan Bushnell
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
United States

uWink, Inc. (stock symbol: UWKI) was a publicly traded digital entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 2000 by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder and former CEO of both Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's.[1] After little success developing interactive entertainment for restaurants, bars and mobile devices for several years[2] in 2006 the company changed focus to their uWink Bistro concept, which it describes as an "entertainment dining experience which leverages its proprietary network and entertainment software, including the uWink Game Library".[3]

uWink's stock opened at $4.75 on July 31, 2007. By December 2012 it was trading at less than one cent.[4]

The interior of an uWink bistro in Mountain View, California, USA
Interior of uWink bistro in Mountain View, California.

Locations, expansions, and closures

The entryway of an uWink bistro in Mountain View, California, USA
uWink bistro in Mountain View, California.

On June 11, 2007, uWink announced its first franchise locations would be opened in the Miami, Florida area via an agreement with OCC Partners, LLC.[13] Under the Area Development Agreement, up to three franchised uWink restaurants were expected to be built in the Miami-Dade County area over the next four years.

On June 25, 2007, uWink announced its first joint venture with venture capital firm Jefferson Partners to open uWink locations in Canada.[14] Their first bistro was expected to open in Canada by early spring 2008.

During February, 2009, uWink delisted itself from the NASDAQ.[15][16]

During April, 2009, uWink closed its third restaurant in Mountain View, California. uWink blamed the closure on the location's high rent and general difficulties in the American economy. Two restaurants in southern California remained open.[17]

In January, 2010, uWink closed its first restaurant in Woodland Hills, California.[5]

On September 12, 2010, uWink announced that they were closing all their stores and would be selling their computer services to other food establishments under the name Tapcode.

Legacy

A uWink Eyecom, believed to be an unlaunched model, is held in the collection of The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, UK.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Ewers, Justin (February 18, 2007). "Moving Beyond Pong and Pizza". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ "uWink". Archived from the original on October 24, 2001. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
  3. ↑ "About uWink". Archived from the original on March 29, 2008.
  4. ↑ "UWKI Advanced Charting". Nasdaq.
  5. 1 2 uWink (September 27, 2007). "uWink Announces Opening of First Restaurant". uWink (Press release). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2007.
  6. ↑ Girard (February 8, 2010). "Without Much Fanfare, uWink Closes Its Woodland Hills Location". Hills of Woodland. Archived from the original on March 26, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  7. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (October 17, 2006). "First (Or Close To It) uWink Restaurant Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  8. ↑ Lipson, Larry (November 2, 2006). "It's all about 'u' at interactive eatery uWink". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  9. ↑ uWink (June 17, 2008). "uWink Hollywood Brings New Level of Food and Fun to Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex" (Press release). Businesswire. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  10. ↑ uWink (October 25, 2007). "uWink to open in Silicon Valley". uWink (Press release). Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
  11. ↑ uWink. "Mountain View Homepage". uWink. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  12. ↑ Holbrook, Stett (November 26, 2008). "The Poet of Play". Metro Silicon Valley. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  13. ↑ "uWink Announces First Franchise Area Development Agreement". Retrieved June 11, 2007.
  14. ↑ "uWink Announces Plans for Canadian Restaurant Joint Venture". Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  15. ↑ Ross, Andrew S. (February 11, 2009). "Enhancing corporate IT departments". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. ↑ Fernandez, Chris (January 20, 2009). "uWink Delists Itself". Seeking Alpha.
  17. ↑ "UWink closes in Mountain View". Silicon Valley Business Journal. The Business Journals. April 21, 2009.
  18. ↑ "uWink Eyecom". Centre for Computing History website. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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