A lot of history and plenty of love...We are proud of what we do here at Jerseys Pizza! Take a look at the team, the bar, the pizza and the memories that we have made since 1958 when we were “The Gay 90s!”
“Where everybody knows your name…”
Belly up to the spacebar and relax as we spin you the tale of the historical inspiration for the sitcom “Cheers” its connection to the Redlands watering hole JERSEYS PIZZA.
To refresh your memory, the sitcom, which aired from 1982-1993, was created by Glen and Les Charles, brothers who had attended the University of Redlands. Les, who graduated in 1971 as a literature major, was a regular at the Redlands pizza parlor and watering hole, The Gay 90’s Pizza & Spaghetti Parlor. He even tended bar there! “Cheers,” We probably don’t have to tell you, was set at a fictional bar in Boston, Mass. The Gay 90s opened in 1958 at 1405 W. Colton Avenue, a window-free box of a place that served pizza, grinders, pasta and salads as well as draft and bottled beer.
The Gay 90’s Spaghetti & Pizza Parlor
“Where the name changed…”
In 1996 Dave Widor purchased the business and renamed it “Jerseys Pizza” in to match his other pizza joints around Southern California. He also removed the original decor and redesigned it to reflect his JERSEYS PIZZA sport theme vibes. While we do love the name (especially as Chris “Coach” Scott" is the Quarterback Coach for the Redlands High School Terriers!) we want to bring the original vibes back. Dark wood. Copper. A throwback to The Gay 90’s.
We are also going to be offering a wider variety of drinks including Low-ABV & No-ABV Cocktails from our “Bitter Bar” being made with spirits distilled by Michael Skubic of Old Harbor Distilling Company, Wine curated by Kaitlin Brooks of “In Pour Taste” and an insane collection of Bitters and Non-Alcoholic Spirits procured by Gary McIntyre of Collins & Coupe.
“Where we are now…”
By the time “Cheers” had ended, The Gay 90s had moved downtown to 214 Orange Street and its original location had been demolished.
As a 1993 Associated Press story on the Gay 90s connection to “Cheers” put it: “Les Charles has acknowledged his memories of the place — including his specific recollection of a Norm-type barfly — found their way into scripts.” That’s a reference to Norm Peterson, the Cheers regular played by George Wendt, who died in May of 2025.
Who was the Norm-type barfly from Gay 90s? The fictional Norm was inspired by a real-life Norm: a man named Norman Baffrey. Norm, the overweight accountant, was based on a character Les came to know while he was tending bar in the Gay 90s Pizza Parlor in Redlands. Les said: “There was a guy who was there all night, every night, and every beer he had was his last beer. So we put that in.”
