uWink facts for kids

uWink, Inc.

Type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: UWKI
Industry	Entertainment Dining
Founded	2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Founder	Nolan Bushnell
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States

uWink, Inc. was a company that focused on digital entertainment. It was based in Los Angeles, California. The company started in 2000. It was founded by Nolan Bushnell. He is famous for co-founding Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's.

For several years, uWink tried to create fun, interactive games for restaurants, bars, and phones. They didn't have much success with this. So, in 2006, they changed their plan. They decided to focus on something called the "uWink Bistro." This was a special restaurant where people could eat and play games. They used their own computer network and games for this experience.

uWink's stock first sold for $4.75 in July 2007. But by December 2012, it was worth less than one cent. This showed the company was having a hard time.

Where uWink Bistros Opened and Closed

uWink opened a few special restaurants. Here's where they were and what happened to them:

• Woodland Hills, California: This was the first uWink bistro. It opened on October 16, 2006. It was inside a shopping center called Westfield Promenade. People had different opinions about it, but many liked it. This location closed in January 2010.
• Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, California: This bistro opened on June 27, 2008. It closed on September 12, 2010.
• Mountain View, California: This location opened on September 15, 2008. It closed pretty quickly, on April 21, 2009.

Interior of uWink bistro in Mountain View, California.

uWink bistro in Mountain View, California.

In June 2007, uWink announced a plan to open more restaurants. They made a deal with a company called OCC Partners, LLC. This company planned to open up to three uWink restaurants in the Miami, Florida area.

Later that month, uWink also teamed up with a company called Jefferson Partners. They planned to open uWink locations in Canada. The first Canadian bistro was expected to open in early 2008.

However, things started to change for uWink. In February 2009, uWink was removed from the NASDAQ stock exchange. This meant their stock was no longer traded there.

In April 2009, uWink closed its Mountain View, California restaurant. The company said that the rent for the building was too high. They also mentioned that the economy was making things difficult. After this, only two uWink restaurants were left open in Southern California.

In January 2010, the first uWink restaurant in Woodland Hills, California, also closed its doors.

Finally, on September 12, 2010, uWink announced a big change. They were closing all their restaurants. Instead, they decided to sell their computer services to other food places. They called this new business "Tapcode."

What uWink Left Behind

Even though uWink restaurants are gone, some of their technology still exists. For example, a device called a uWink Eyecom is kept in a museum. This museum is called The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, UK. It is believed to be a model that was never officially launched.