BJ's Restaurants, Inc. is an American restaurant chain. It has about 170 casual dining restaurants under names such as BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, BJ's Pizza & Grill and BJ's Restaurant & Brewery. Some of the restaurants include a brewery. The BJ's in Hillsboro, Oregon. BJ's was founded in 1978 and first opened in Orange County, California. By 1996, seven restaurants had opened between San Diego and Los Angeles. Originally known as Chicago Pizza, the company went public about 1996, raising $9.4 million.