John's Incredible Pizza Co.

Would I return?  Yes.

Overall grade: 6 out of 10


John's Incredible Pizza Co. is a modern version of Chuck-E-Cheese's.  The decor is modern, but has had a quick downturn in the seven months since it opened.  The location in Beaverton, Oregon is the first location in Oregon, but the company has 10 other locations in California.  It appears to be a successful concept, but I don't see the allure for repeat business due to the cost and overall stimulation you inhale during the couple hours you are there.  The overall atmosphere is positive and upbeat, and allows for let-your-hair-down fun with the kiddos in an environment that is less hated by parents than Chuck-E-Cheese's.  Also, for those drink enthusiasts, there is a wine and beer bar with a very limited selection. (Now, I have your attention...)

Here are my impressions:

Great things:

• Our kids love this place, and it's on the top of their wish list when we go to a "fun place."
• The games are fun for the kids and adults.
• This is more than just an arcade, there are rides (bumper cars, toddler merry-go-rounds, and a "Twister") and a small laser tag arena (the size of a small bedroom).
• The decor is unique, creative and interesting.
• The food is surprisingly decent, and bottomless. The buffet sports a fresh salad bar, some of the best breadsticks in town, and unique pizzas you won't find anywhere else ("Mac & Cheese" pizza and "Spicy Peanut Butter" pizza).  You will also find a soda/ drink bar, baked potatoes, a pasta bar and a great dessert bar with donuts, cookies, cakes, cobblers and soft serve ice cream with sprinkles.  The food is worth the price of admission.  It doesn't taste as processed as a lot of other buffets.
• Customer service is all but lost in most restaurants anymore.  Each employee (less the store employee as addressed below) is courteous, outgoing and helpful.  They all try very hard to make your visit "incredible."  This is surprising considering the median age of the employees is probably in the teens.  These teens likely enjoy where they work and probably are happy in their job with the company. 
• The dining area is divided into six different themed rooms, including a futuristic/scientific room, movie room, log cabin room, sports room and music room.  Again, the decor is fantastic and almost Disneyland-like.  Having several different smaller rooms helps bring the large dining space back to smaller segments and cuts away the noise.  Family talk at the dinner table is not saturated withn background noise.
• Enjoy a beer or a glass of wine with dinner from the adult drink bar just beyond all the buffet stations.
• The bathrooms are kid-friendly with a shorter sink and family bathroom.

Improvements needed:

• The exit door is not guarded.  If a child runs away or gets lost, a stranger could easily take the child out the exit without being stopped.  This is a serious safety concern for parents with young children in a stimulated environment that creates impulsivity in distracted children.
• The Beaverton, Oregon location has been open since March 2011.  After only seven months in business, the restaurant is already showing wear and tear signs.  On one video game machine, the pad was pealing off of the machine.  Diligent upkeep will be absolutely necessary and the restaurant will go downhill fast if maintenance isn't a primary focus.
• We found three dirty forks when we weren't looking for them.
• The floors were not kept immaculately clean, as I would expect.
• My kids love to go see the bear dance, which occurs at 15 minutes past every hour.  The last time we visited, there were tons of tickets.  At our most recent visit, the staff gathered the kids from a birthday party and brought them to the back of the dance area.  We waited patiently with our kids in the middle of the dance floor.  At the end of the bear dance, the employees throw tickets into the air and the kids gather them.  On our most recent visit, there was only one employee who stood at the back of the crowd by the birthday group with one handful of tickets.  The kids that were not part of the birthday party didn't get many tickets.  This was very disappointing for the non-birthday party kids.  I felt like our kids were second-rate behind the VIP birthday guests.  We paid our fee to enter, and we should have equal treatment outside the birthday party rooms.
• After you cash in your game tickets, you "buy" toys.  One time we visited, the kids were within a couple points of getting a toy they wanted.  Usually, places will give you a couple freebie credits if you are short just a few, but not this place.  The clerk who helped us told us we could just save the credits for next time.  With the amount you spend on game credits, it seems reasonable that they could give a couple points to buy a toy that probably cost them less than two quarters!

Insider tip:

Visit the bear dance floor at 15 minutes after each hour for the bear dance and for kids to grab a few extra tickets!

Prices:

Prices vary based on the age.  However the cost for two adults, two kids and two game cards with a 65 game credits costs approximately $58.00.
Click here to see the cost of admittance and food.
Click here to see the price of game credits.

Basic info:
Location: 9180 SW Hall Blvd., Beaverton, OR 97223 (Near Washington Square Mall; the building used to be Circuit City)
Telephone: 503-520-0000
Website: www.johnspizza.com
California locations: Bakersfield, Buena Park, Fresno, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, San Diego, Stockton, Victorville
Nutrition information is not listed on the website. With the limited buffet menu, I would think they could add the nutrition information for those who are interested.