In the next four months, CyberZone Inc., the operator of CyberBrew Net Cafes and CyberZone computer gaming centers, plans to open nine cafes in San Diego County and Arizona, as well as two gaming centers in the San Diego area.

The company, which became publicly held through a reverse acquisition in June, currently operates four cyber cafes and five PC gaming centers in the San Diego area.

"The Internet is very popular and growing exponentially, so these types of businesses make a lot of sense," said Mike Noll, CyberZone founder, president and chief executive.

The next location to open will be a CyberBrew cafe in Santee, followed by September openings in National City, Escondido, Carlsbad and San Marcos. A second San Marcos location is set to open in October. The cyber cafes offer Internet access and light business services in a coffeehouse setting.

In addition, a CyberZone PC gaming center is set to open on Sept. 1 at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, coordinated with the opening of the new WalMart store there. A gaming center at the Plaza Bonita shopping center in Chula Vista is also scheduled to open in September.

In November and December, CyberBrew cafes are set to open in the Arizona towns of Mesa, Chandler and Goodyear. These are part of the company's long-range plan to expand into other states.

Noll, a former information technology manager at the Viejas Casino, formed the company two years ago to offer family-oriented PC gaming centers within the relatively safe environment of large shopping centers.

He said that although the people who play the Internet games -- generally males aged 13 to 25 -- can play the games on home computers, it's more fun for them in a social setting.

"The whole reason the CyberZone concepts works is because of the social interaction," he said. "If we were open 24-hours, we'd have people; they don't want us to close."

But because of the age group, strict policies have to be enforced, Noll explained. He does not allow anyone to hang out or loiter on the premises if they are not using or waiting for a computer. The social interaction, he says, comes from the players competing with each other or forming teams to compete with players in other locations around the country or the world.

Noll encourages parents of teens to visit the CyberZone centers and check them out before letting their kids go alone or with friends. And being in a shopping center setting, which has on-site security patrols, discourages unruly behavior, he said.

In addition, the computers are "locked down" so users cannot gain access to pornographic or other objectionable websites.

While the computers at the gaming centers can be used for e-mail and general Internet browsing, they are primarily used for gaming. Which led to the opening of the coffeehouses.

"The frustration of trying to have individuals my age go into a PC gaming place and just check my e-mail and relax and surf the Web was not working," said Noll, who is 49.

The cafes serve brewed coffee, espresso, ice drinks and fruit smoothies as well as bakery items. Each cafe has a minimum of 15 computers as well as Wi-Fi wireless Internet access. That, he says puts him ahead of rival Starbucks, the coffeehouse giant that recently began adding wireless access through Wi-Fi "hotspots" but has no computers on site for those without laptops.

Noll describes the CyberBrew cafes as a combination of Starbucks and Kinkos. "We offer color and black-and-white laser printing and copying, and we offer scanning and fax services," he said. "You can enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee and get some work done, too."

The company currently has more than 50 employees and expects to have more than 100 by year's end. Every store adds four to five people, he said.

CyberZone was incorporated in Nevada in July 2003, then in June the company became publicly held by "reversing" into the shell of the defunct Dallas-based Screen-Playz.com and immediately changing its name to CyberZone.

The CyberZone stock is now traded over-the-counter on the Pink Sheets under the ticker symbol CBZJ.PK. CyberZone shares gained a nickel, or 4.4 percent, to close at $1.20 today.

Source:sandiego.com