John's Incredible Pizza Plans Could Derail

Plans for a 900-seat restaurant and arcade at the Moorestown Mall have hit a snag and will not be revived unless voters approve a referendum to legalize games of chance.

John’s Incredible Pizza, which would occupy 50,000 square feet at the mall, cannot conduct the business as planned without the vote, according to a representative.

An important component of the John’s Incredible Pizza experience is an arcade in which patrons accumulate tickets to win prizes, according to Brian Siegel, managing director of H. Katz Capital Group, which is partnering with John’s to open new entertainment centers across the country. Under existing rules, such an arcade could operate only if all the prizes were the same, regardless of the number of tickets collected.

“It takes a lot of the fun out of it,” said Siegel, adding that John’s would not change its payout scheme to accommodate Moorestown, one of a handful of municipalities in New Jersey that have not opted into the state’s Amusement Games Licensing Law.

Without a change, Moorestown likely would lose out in adding the business to its roster. Although the company has not ruled out Moorestown as a location, Siegel said the group is looking at sites in North Jersey.

“It’s off the radar screen at this point. We can’t do anything until November,” said Siegel. "When we get closer (to the general election), we’ll have to talk to the various constituents and see what everybody wants to do.”

John’s Incredible Pizza, which features buffet-style dining, video games, an arcade and small rides, has 11 locations in California and Oregon.

“John’s did a lot of homework and thought their first East Coast venture would be perfect at the Moorestown Mall,” said Moorestown Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo.

Moorestown Town Council members thought they had cleared the way for John’s in December when they passed two ordinances permitting arcade-style establishments in specially restricted commercial zones, according to Gallo. It wasn’t until John’s applied to the state for its license that they discovered Moorestown had voted down a statewide referendum on games of chance in 1959, he said, adding that the only remedy is a local referendum.

“We have to let the voters chose,” he said, adding that council would not lead the charge to get the question on the ballot.

“We’d only take action if John’s came back to us and said they really wanted to come to Moorestown, and then we could help them out,” he said. “There is no certainty as to whether that vote would pass and John’s may be considering alternative locations.”

Moorestown Business Association President Mark Morgan said he isn’t aware of plans to start a petition drive to put the referendum before the voters, but approved of the idea.

“I think John’s would be great for the business climate in Moorestown and a great addition to the Moorestown Mall,” he said.

Moorestown Mall General Manager Brian K. Gardiner refused to comment except to say that the parties were still in negotiations.