Jillian's facts for kids
Jillian's (now Lucky Strike Social) in Boston
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Trade name
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Jillian's |
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Formerly
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Carom Capital Corporation (1990-1991) Jillian's Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (1991-2009) |
| Private | |
| Industry | Entertainment/Restaurant |
| Fate | Bankruptcy in 2004, closures |
| Successor | Dave & Busters Lucky Strike Lanes Several more |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Stephen Foster |
| Defunct | 2018 (last location in San Francisco, California) |
| Headquarters | Reno, Nevada |
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Number of locations
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30 (2000) 1 (2018) 0 (2020) |
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Area served
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United States Canada (formerly) |
| Owner | Gemini Investors |
Jillian's was a super fun chain of restaurants and entertainment centers. You could find them across the United States and even in Canada for a while. These places were known for having lots of games, food, and activities.
The main office for Jillian's was in Reno, Nevada. Sadly, all the Jillian's locations eventually closed down. The very last one shut its doors in 2018.
Contents
The Story of Jillian's: From Billiards to Big Fun
Jillian's started out small but grew into a huge entertainment spot. Let's look at how it all began and what happened to this popular chain.
How Jillian's Began
Jillian's was founded in 1985 by a person named Stephen Foster. The very first Jillian's was a billiards club. It was located near Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Stephen named the club after his wife, Jillian.
After a few years, Stephen and Jillian opened another club in Seattle. They later went on to create another well-known chain called Lucky Strike Lanes.
Growing into an Entertainment Giant
By the early 1990s, Jillian's was expanding quickly. It started adding more than just billiards. Soon, you could find restaurants, video game arcades, bowling alleys, and even nightclubs inside. Some locations even had conference rooms for events.
Jillian's became a big competitor to other entertainment places like Dave & Buster's. By the year 2000, there were about 30 Jillian's locations across the U.S. There was also one location in Montreal, Canada.
Challenges and Changes for Jillian's
Even though Jillian's was popular, the company faced some tough times. In 2004, the company had to file for bankruptcy. This meant they needed to reorganize their business and sell some of their properties.
Nine of the Jillian's locations, along with the Jillian's name, were sold to Dave & Buster's. Some of these places were changed to become Dave & Buster's locations. Others were renamed "Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe."
Later, in 2009, Dave & Buster's sold the rights to the Jillian's name to a company called Gemini Investors. This company then created JBC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. to manage the remaining Jillian's locations.
Where Did All the Jillian's Go?
Over the years, many Jillian's locations closed down. Here are a few examples of what happened to some of them:
- The Jillian's in Las Vegas closed in 2008. It had also been used as a concert venue.
- The location in Memphis, Tennessee, shut down in 2009.
- The Jillian's in Boardman Township, Ohio, closed in 2011.
- The Charlotte, North Carolina location closed in February 2010.
- The Cleveland Heights, Ohio location closed in 2011 and became a different type of restaurant.
- The Seattle location closed in 2012.
- The Peoria, Illinois location closed in May 2013.
- The Chesapeake, Virginia location closed in 2014 but then reopened as GameWorks just a few days later.
- The Jillian's in Universal City closed in 2016 and was replaced by a Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.
- In 2017, the Worcester, Massachusetts location closed.
- The original Jillian's in Boston was changed into a Lucky Strike Social. It even kept some of the Jillian's branding for a while.
- The very last Jillian's, located in San Francisco, closed in 2018. It was changed into a similar place called Tabletop Tap House.
By 2020, there were no Jillian's locations left open.
