Diners welcome BJ’s restaurant

DOWNTOWN — In hopes of making money in a busy downtown location that didn’t work for its predecessor, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse opened its doors to Glendale on Monday.

Parked at the corner of Brand Boulevard and Broadway, on the ground floor of the Glendale City Center at 101 N. Brand Blvd., the restaurant’s new stainless steel facade beckoned passersby to test the newly opened eatery.

The sign was familiar to Irvine resident Shannon Shin, who randomly stopped in for lunch to enjoy some deep-dish pizza.

“I wanted some Chicago pizza,” said Shin, noting that she acquired a taste for it when she lived for a year in the Windy City.

Monday marked the opening of the 67th location for Huntington Beach-based BJ’s, which has grown significantly since its first restaurant started serving pizzas in Santa Ana in 1978, said Steve Mintzer, BJ’s regional vice president.

When the company went public in 1996, it had seven locations.

Since then, revenue has risen steadily, according to financial reports provided by the company.

In 1997, BJ’s brought in $37.3 million in revenue.

In 2006, revenue jumped to $238.9 million.

And though the restaurant hopes to appeal to upscale tastes, both in terms of its culinary offerings and its polished, modern interior, the company is committed to keeping its menu affordable, Mintzer said.

“We’re good enough to impress a date, but we have a really value-conscious menu so you can come with your family and not feel like you’re getting gouged,” he said.

Pizzas range from $5.95 for a personal “mini” size and $22 for a large, heaping with toppings.

The mini pizzas are half off during happy hour, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Though Mintzer could not comment on how much the company invested in its Glendale location, the interior has been completely redesigned and refinished.

From the new wood floors, slate-paneled archways and modern lighting, plus seven flat-screen TVs including a 110-inch mega-screen at the bar, not a trace of Chevy’s remains.

Chevy’s lease at the City Center — home also to California Pizza Kitchen, the Olive Garden and Sushi Tako — expired in February, and it left amid reports of declining sales.

BJ’s, which averages more than 470,000 guests per restaurant year according to a city staff report, is intent on thriving in its new Glendale digs.

Glendale resident Josh Lopez, who sat at the bar testing a custom brew and later a pomegranate margarita, thinks the eatery will do just fine.

“It’s a place where you can go out with your buddies and watch a game, have a drink .?.?. and the environment is great,” Lopez said.

There is, however, room for improvement, Lopez said.

“The only thing that it’s missing is a karaoke machine,” he said.