Metal monsters made from repurposed materials lurk alongside this Pennsylvania road. The two performed "The Rolfe and Earle Show" (Earl's name was unintentionally misspelled), featuring the voices of Showbiz employees imitating Fechter's voice; the two ran a highlights reel of old Rock-afire Cyberstar segments and wondered aloud what the band would do now, and hinted at the coming Chuck E. Cheese-themed show. ShowBiz Pizza Place opened its first location on March 3, 1980, in Kansas City, Missouri. A bear in overalls, he was the mascot for ShowBiz Pizza Place throughout its existence, and his image was on most of the chain's merchandise. The last Showbiz Pizza location in the United States was shut down in 1994. All rights reserved. Since 1999, we have been the premiere online resource for people seeking to learn more about this unique restaurant concept. A row of tables and booths purchased from a former ShowBiz Pizza franchise location in Florida line the center of the room. Instead of Chuck E. Cheese and his Pizza Time Players, the ShowBiz show featured the Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic band which included a wise-cracking polar bear, an alcoholic bird, a wolf ventriloquist, and Billy Bob Brockali, a good-natured country bear named for ShowBiz founder, Bob Brock. Get Store Hours, phone number, location, reviews and coupons for Showbiz Pizza Place located at 1154 E Ogden Ave., Naperville, IL, 60563 [4] During this period, Topeka Inn Management also changed its name to Brock Hotel Corporation and moved its headquarters to Irving, Texas. At their core, they are a preservation society, doing what they can to help document and save the history of these restaurant concepts. ShowBiz Pizza Place | ShowBiz Pizza Wiki | Fandom At their core, they are a preservation society, doing what they can to help document and save the history of these restaurant concepts. Dark Green = Operating PTT stores with stage shows. Their first ShowBiz Pizza restaurant opened in March 1980 in Kansas City, Missouri, followed by its second restaurant complete with its own exclusive Rock-afire Explosion robot band in Florida. There were, of course, subtle differences between the two restaurants. Although we have no official affiliation with CEC Entertainment, Inc or Creative Engineering, Inc, we have always sought to remain on positive terms with both companies. [1][3] In 1978, Bushnell purchased the Pizza Time Theatre concept from Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications. Additionally, thirty stores were outfitted with "Uncle Klunk" (voice: Jeff Howell[14]), a human character who replaced Rolfe and hosted talk-show segments with his bird sidekick, Click. Then Dan Evans (driver of the Jetix truck) decided to dance with Chuck E. and Billy Bob), The Dillock, West Cybersland location (The oldest in the chain, which opened on January 1, 1983), The Ricastan, East Cybersland location (Known as Looney Bird's), The Dlindlintown, West Cybersland location (Combo with a TJ Hartford's), The Tincity, West Cybersland location (The sign's letters are scrambled), The Cahsenorehbelz, East Cybersland location (This location is designed for the market that is too small for the typical ShowBiz stores, and this store uses a mini stage with Mitzi wearing her clothing from the country tapes and has a few games and a small kitchen and counter), The Bananaaphone, West Cybersland location (This location has a Rock-afire Explosion with Rolfe and Earl replaced with Princess Haylee of the Moon Rockers), Trance, East Cybersland (This location is co-branded with Chuck E. Cheese's and this location has the Moon Rockers as it's only band and Billy Bob and Chuck E. only exist as walk-around characters at this location), The Town of Lightning, East Cyberland location, The Bananaville, West Cybersland location (uses a Fatz and the Hillbilly Bears show that replaces Rolfe and Earl with Uncle Klunk), The Moncton, East Cybersland location (has a RAE with wacky characters, featuring a country-style Mitzi and a naked Fatz), The Cloncton, West Cybersland location (known as Uncle Klunk's and a combo with Hungry Jack's. Mafia members are, for the most part, anonymous and prefer to keep it that way. Restaurants Showbiz Pizza (East and West Cybersland)/Locations, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. - Chuck E. Cheese begins testing new "2.0" remodels, branded as Chuck E. Cheese Pizzeria & Games. 2005 Munch, Mitzi was moved to Dook's place and became Helen Henny, The Sun became The Building, Choo-Choo became Munch Junior, and Rolfe became Chuck E. Cheese; The Moon was the only character carried over unchanged, and Antioch's computer and air lines were reused for The Wink, an animated Chuck E. Cheese head over the stage that would wink at the end of each segment. Without the rights to the Rock-afire Explosion, ShowBiz was forced to convert the remaining Rock-afire robots into Chuck E. Cheese characters, replacing their exteriors, but leaving the original machinery intact [PDF]. It was released on DVD in 2009. In 1991, a process known as "Concept Unification" was initiated by Showbiz Pizza Time. He opened Smittys in 2007, and moved the operation to its current location in 2018. 1995 - Chuck E. Cheese's purchases its former competitor, Discovery Zone. [4] Brock immediately issued a counter-suit against Bushnell, citing misrepresentation. 1987 1992 Aside from the volunteered time and efforts of our community, the material we host and share has been submitted / donated by dedicated fans who have managed to care for and preserve it through the years. The old Chuck E. Cheese's logo labelscar can be seen behind the Showbiz sign), The Novo Omotesando, East Cybersland location (In 2007, the crew for the Monster Jam program on the US channel Speed visited this location to film John Sprinkles talking about Chuck E. Cheese's and Showbiz's sponsorship for Cyberslandian Monster Jam events. [25], Where to see the Rock-Afire: https://where-to-see-the-rock-afire-explosion.jimdosite.com/, Later years at ShowBiz and Concept Unification, Independent public shows in the United States, "Characters Index Page- The Rock-afire Explosion", "Stages Index Page- The Rock-afire Explosion", "Masters of Puppets: The Rock Explosion Story", "Fatz Geronimo - The Rock-afire Explosion", "Hips Don't Lie- Shakira- The Rock-afire Explosion", "Mitzi Mozzarella - The Rock-afire Explosion", "Rolfe DeWolfe & Earl Schmerle - The Rock-afire Explosion", "The Rolfe and Earle Show (Cyberstar) Show Tape Review", "The New Rock-afire Explosion Stage - The Rock-afire Explosion", "Animatronic Band Moves from Pizza Parlors to YouTube", "It's true: The ShowBiz Pizza robot band is back, at a retro arcade bar", "MEET THE DUDE WHO PERFECTLY RECREATED AN '80S 'SHOWBIZ PIZZA' IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI", "Rock-Afire Explosion gets a makeover at Billy Bob's", "Some find it odd, others see re-creating mechanical band as a way to tap into happy childhood memories", https://where-to-see-the-rock-afire-explosion.jimdosite.com/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rock-afire_Explosion&oldid=1143703125, This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 11:03. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. You're currently viewing the new "5.0" version of ShowBizPizza.com. I was four years old when I first visited a ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurant. All these chains rely on animal mascots, a rat in the case of Chuck E. Cheese, and the Billy Bob bear being a central character in ShowBiz's advertising. Breland and his band were featured in the 2008 documentary The Rock-afire Explosion. I treasured my experiences, and each and every ShowBiz vinyl record and doll and merch I was able to get my hands on (many coming from second hand stores). [4] Brock immediately issued a counter-suit against Bushnell, citing misrepresentation. - Facing slowing sales, Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment Inc. revamps the Chuck E. Cheese mascot, transforming him into a computer generated rock star. Aaron Fechter, the founder of Creative Engineering and creator of the Rock-afire Explosion, claimed that the fallout between his company and ShowBiz arose when ShowBiz asked him to sign away the licensing and copyrights to the Rock-afire Explosion, which would have allowed ShowBiz to cut production costs on the show, such as manufacture of future shows and royalty payments to Creative Engineering. [20], Smitty's Super Service Station has a fully functional show in Sandy Hook, Mississippi. Major remodeling is tested at both ShowBiz and Pizza Time locations. In 1991, a process known as "Concept Unification" was initiated by Showbiz Pizza Time. 2004 All across America in the 1980s, one of the greatest pizza wars in history took place, not between feuding chefs, but between a video game developer, an inventor, and a hotel chain manager. The Brock Hotel Corporation owned 80% of ShowBiz Pizza Place, while the other 20% was owned by CEI, which produced the chain's animatronics show, The Rock-afire Explosion. Fechter refused, on the grounds that ShowBiz offered no monetary compensation for the rights. I didnt have any preconceived idea that I knew how to run a restaurant, but I knew simple was better.. [21], The Rock-afire Explosion show at Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, West Virginia, remains operational and is now fully restored. We are completely non-profit - all of our hosting fees, bandwidth costs, etc are paid directly out of pocket with no monetization from revenue, advertising or otherwise. Brock promised Bushnell financial support, and Bushnell, in return, promised Brock the best animatronic technology in the world. UNITED STATES, Worldwide > New attractions are test marketed in select locations, with the prospect of rolling out new features system-wide. ShowBizPizza.com is an educational website designed to inform the public about all aspects and topics relating to the history of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza Place. Brock files a countersuit against Pizza Time Theatre and Bushnell on the grounds of misrepresentation. 590 Twin Tiers Road, Corning, New York - (opened March 8, 1989) - Was a Chuck E. Cheese's. 10 US-98, Mexico Beach, FL - (opened July 10, 1985) - Has a "Skytubes" playground. I spent the next few years of my childhood absolutely obsessed with ShowBiz and The Rock-afire Explosion. Our operation and service to the fan community is completely self-funded by the generous contribution and support of our most dedicated fans. ShowBiz Pizza Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Brock and Fechter were victorious. In 1981, Pizza Time Theatre went public; however, the evolving video game industry resulted in significant losses for Pizza Time Theatre; losing $15 million in 1983, and by 1984, Bushnell's debts were insurmountable, resulting in the filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy for Pizza Time Theatre Inc. ShowBiz then bought the foundering company, recreating itself as ShowBiz Pizza Time Inc.[3], After the merger, both restaurants continued operating under the different titles, while major financial restructuring had begun,[3] eventually becoming publicly traded in 1989, with sales increasing by 8.3%. On several occasions prior to the release of Chuck E.'s new single last week, we communicated to Brannan that his primary responsibilities with our in-store entertainment group would not change. Chuck E Cheese About | ShowBizPizza.com CALIFORNIA LOCATIONS. Ignore tags: #showbizpizzaplace #showbizpizza #showbizpizzaad #rae #spp [5] There was one return of the brand in the United States, named ShowBiz Pizza Zone. Uses a RAE show that replaces Billy Bob with Uncle Klunk), The Relondia, East Cybersland location (Version 2), The Town of Water, West Cybersland location (There are rescue divers who rescue items that fall into the Wallace Canal), The Pizza Olden Times City, East Cybersland location (This location uses a RAE stage that replaces Rolfe and Earl with Uncle Klunk), The Poeatree, East Cybersland location (formerly a Blockbuster store), The Disneyland Resort Swansea in Swansea, West Cybersland location, The Makunenefort, West Cybersland location, The Pizza Gutimdez, East Cybersland location, The Pointz, East Cybersland location (A combo with a Georgie Pie), The Zone, West Cybersland location (Co-branded with Chuck E. Cheese's), The Zoox, East Cybersland location (A combo with McDonald's), The Funkytown, East Cybersland location (This location uses a RAE that replaces Rolfe and Earl with a Pikachu), The Castle Town, West Cybersland location (A combo with a Little Caesars Pizza Station), The Generic and Bland City, West Cybersland location, The Ellif, East Cybersland location (co-branded with Chuck E. Cheese's). Showbiz Pizzas 100+ locations had all been replaced by the Chuck E. Cheese brand by 1992, but for some, their fond memories had no substitute. And for posterity's sake, here's a few screenshots that illustrate the progression of ShowBizPizza.com through the years ShowBizPizza.com - Where Everyone Can Be a Kid, since 1999.All characters and brands are / their respective owners. 1981 Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages, Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Mokele-Mbembe, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Stories from the Collection of Ryan and Regina Cohn, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Satanists, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Gourds Gone Wild: Growing and Crafting Gourds With Gourdlandia, Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher, Secrets of Tarot Reading: History & Practice With T. Susan Chang, Archaeological Site inside Monastiraki Metro Station. Naperville, IL > ShowBizPizza.com is an educational website designed to inform the public about all aspects and topics relating to the history of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza Place. Later, as ShowBiz Pizza Place took over programming, they used Songcode, a system inherited from their acquisition of Pizza Time Theatre, until APS (see above) became their standard programming system. USA Store Fanon Wikia is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Photos from Various Pizza Time Theatre Locations. Like Bushnell, Fechter had lost the war. Among customers, the general consensus was that ShowBiz had better animatronics, and a more grown-up act, while Chuck E. Cheese had slightly superior pizza. After filing for bankruptcy in March 1984, the chain was acquired by Brock Hotel Corp., parent company of competitor ShowBiz Pizza Place in May 1985, forming ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. A child speaking with Billy Bob at the ShowBiz Pizza location in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1998, the company once known as Showbiz Pizza was rebranded simply as CEC Entertainment Inc.; in 2014, it was sold to Apollo Global Management (which owned Claires jewelry stores) for $950 million. After touring each restaurant, he concluded that ShowBiz, with its edgy rock-and-roll bears, seemed geared towards an older audience, while Chuck E. Cheese was more kid-friendly. Five Nights At Freddy's: 10 Things You Didn't Know About - Screen Rant She also helps with gathering and organizing photographs and information that is utilized on ShowBizPizza.com. Confirmed Showbiz locations have * by the city name. Mafia members are, for the most part, anonymous and prefer to keep it that way. [2] By September 1981, there were 48 company-owned outlets and 42 franchises. Showbiz Pizza Place in Naperville, IL, 1154 E Ogden Ave. The show was pioneering, in many respects, to other animatronics shows of the early 1980s. In fact, Bushnell claimed in a 1979 interview that Pizza Time Theatres were really Disneyland carried to American families at the local level.. About | ShowBizPizza.com [19] However, the bar closed in February 2019. Munch's Make Believe Band | ShowBiz Pizza Wiki | Fandom Frustrated at the complete lack of ANYTHING regarding ShowBiz Pizza Place, I took it upon myself to start a website to keep the memory alive. The data tracks are encoded using Biphase mark code produced during the programming process by two Apple IIe computers. Furthermore, in 2015, a documentary on the Rock-afire Explosion was released on YouTube, and as of 2023, has over a million views. [4] In December 1979, Brock and Fechter formed "ShowBiz Pizza Place Inc", severing Brock's business relationship with Bushnell. It was the little pieces of ShowBiz I had at home that kept the obsession alive between visits. It is currently the second largest FEC chain in the US behind Chuck E. Cheese's. Though matzo-like isnt traditionally a quality associated with great pizza, the reporter concluded that Chuck E. Cheese pizza was better. I remember only brief snippets of that initial visit, and a rather traumatic experience first seeing The Rock-afire Explosion. Of course kids grow up, as I did, and didn't get back into ShowBiz until my senior year of high school when my small school finally gained access to this thing called the "internet". This website is made possible by the fans of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza. The Showbiz brand emerged following a separation between Brock and Pizza Time Theatre, owners of the Chuck E. Cheese's franchise. Later, in 1981, the Wolf Pack 5 was removed from that Showbiz Pizza Place location, as the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band had debuted earlier on August 14th, 1980 at the second location in Jacksonville . - The great video game crash occurs in the United States, and both companies slow their expansion. [4] ShowBiz Pizza Place opened its first location on March 3, 1980, in Kansas City, Missouri.[3]. Showbiz Pizza Place is a restaurant/family entertainment center chain that has been popular since the 1980s. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. One also operated in Salmiya, Kuwait, but was firebombed during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait during August 1989 and was repaired or reopened. Brian helps maintain our social media presence and is administrates our Facebook page. Additionally, some characters from Chuck E. Cheese are on hand to extend the show. Major remodeling is tested at both ShowBiz and Pizza Time locations. Smitty's in South Mississippi pays homage to pizza place animatronics The changes to the Rock-afire stage were very minor, as the company later decided to enact a process called "Concept Unification," in which all ShowBiz Pizza locations would be remodeled into Chuck E. Cheese's. Pizza Time Theatre - Waterbury, CT (1980s) FLORIDA LOCATIONS. A location shared with a Subway off the 1-24 Highway in some sandunes near El Uno, East Cybersland. Over at Chuck E. Cheese, Bushnell was incensed by Brocks betrayal, and launched a lawsuit against ShowBiz Pizza. 1986 - With 272 stores, ShowBiz Pizza Time begins to show profits as financial restructuring is completed. When Bushnell was recently asked about his battle with ShowBiz, he responded, If you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all.. A museum of unusual collections, mini-towns, and a half-dog, half-alligator. As ShowBiz and Chuck E. Cheese were essentially glorified arcades, the crash had a serious impact on both businesses. Contact Us. The New Antioch, East Cybersland location, known as the "family fun restaurant/center introduction" by the local residents. Soon after, the company acquires the Peter Piper Pizza chain of restaurants - both chains become operated under Queso Holdings, Inc. 2017 The final traces of the Showbiz Pizza name disappeared in 1998, when the chain's former owners, Showbiz Pizza Time, rebranded itself as CEC Entertainment. Over 20 years later, both myself and the website are still here, continuing to archive documents, audio, video and more.

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