UWink explained

uWink, Inc.
Traded As:NASDAQ:
Type:Public
Hq Location City:Los Angeles, California
Hq Location Country:United States
Founder:Nolan Bushnell

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]

Locations, expansions, and closures

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.

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]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Ewers . Justin . February 18, 2007 . Moving Beyond Pong and Pizza . U.S. News & World Report . dead . November 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121018202413/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070218/26eespotlight.htm . October 18, 2012.
  2. Web site: uWink . https://web.archive.org/web/20011024005549/http://uwink.com/index.shtml . October 24, 2001 . May 2, 2007.
  3. Web site: About uWink . https://web.archive.org/web/20080329014154/http://www.uwink.com/about . March 29, 2008.
  4. Web site: UWKI Advanced Charting . Nasdaq.
  5. uWink Announces Opening of First Restaurant . September 27, 2007 . May 10, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927133222/http://beta.uwink.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=118 . September 27, 2007 . uWink . uWink.
  6. Web site: Girard . February 8, 2010 . Without Much Fanfare, uWink Closes Its Woodland Hills Location . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110326022230/http://www.hillsofwoodland.com/2010/02/08/without-much-fanfare-uwink-closes-its-woodland-hills-location/ . March 26, 2011 . August 30, 2010 . Hills of Woodland . mdy-all.
  7. Web site: Ashcraft . Brian . October 17, 2006 . First (Or Close To It) uWink Restaurant Review . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071121071959/http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/first-or-close-to-it-uwink-restaurant-review-208033.php . November 21, 2007 . 2007-10-24 . Kotaku . mdy-all.
  8. News: Lipson . Larry . November 2, 2006 . It's all about 'u' at interactive eatery uWink . . dead . 2008-03-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080420095155/http://www.dailynews.com/dining/ci_4593983 . April 20, 2008 . mdy-all.
  9. uWink Hollywood Brings New Level of Food and Fun to Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex . June 17, 2008 . Businesswire . 2008-07-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151004124236/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080617005872/en/uWink-Hollywood-Brings-Level-Food-Fun-Hollywood . 2015-10-04 . uWink.
  10. uWink to open in Silicon Valley . October 25, 2007 . 2008-03-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080206064543/http://www.uwink.com/content/view/178/84/ . February 6, 2008 . uWink . uWink.
  11. Web site: uWink . Mountain View Homepage . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081211013211/http://www.uwink.com/restaurants/locations/mvca/ . December 11, 2008 . November 30, 2008 . uWink.
  12. Web site: Holbrook . Stett . November 26, 2008 . The Poet of Play . 2008-11-30 . Metro Silicon Valley.
  13. Web site: uWink Announces First Franchise Area Development Agreement . 2007-06-11.
  14. Web site: uWink Announces Plans for Canadian Restaurant Joint Venture . 2007-07-01.
  15. News: Ross . Andrew S. . February 11, 2009 . Enhancing corporate IT departments . The San Francisco Chronicle .
  16. Web site: Fernandez . Chris . January 20, 2009 . uWink Delists Itself . Seeking Alpha.
  17. News: April 21, 2009 . UWink closes in Mountain View . Silicon Valley Business Journal . The Business Journals .
  18. Web site: uWink Eyecom . 3 February 2021 . Centre for Computing History website.

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