By the time the 1978 IAAPA convention took place, CEI unveiled their newest animatronic creation the Wolf Pack 5, a group of singing animals that was inspired by the Rocky Horror Show. Brock was already wealthy from being the world's largest franchisee of Holiday Inn hotels in the United States. This 2-Stage also featured a unique TKO Drumhead for Pasquallys drums. Chuck E., Munch, Jasper, and Pasqually had PTT masks, and they had curtains until 2021. This stage was removed when the location received 2.0 in July 2022. Armed with a current copy of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) directory, Landrum began seeking people to build the animated puppets that they needed. With aggressive marketing and major remodeling, profits began to increase. Since 1948, stars have ascended the majestic staircase into a very exclusive party where no selfies are allowed. This location received 2.0 in 2022. It consists of 5 segments: 3 center stage segments, 1 stage right segment, and 1 stage left segment. 1-Stage. Please check your details and try again. They had purchased a video games company, and were eager to shutter the restaurant so they could better focus on Atari's struggling entry into the home video game market. The 2-Stage in Cherry Hill, New Jersey has Chuck E. wearing his Rockstar outfit. The work lights were turned on and Jasper had his PTT mask. The 2-Stage in Glen Burnie, Maryland had Chuck E., Munch (which was later replaced with Silver Spring's mask), and Jasper's PTT masks, and Helen had unique hair. The cabaret shows were also expanded to include several new characters. The plan was to debut the company at a valuation of about $1.4 billion, and planned to use money from the deal to pay down debt, which stood at $958 million. In 1999, they removed it for a Studio C Alpha. Munch is wearing a tropical hat with palm trees on it, and he wears a lei around his neck. February 1992 Bushnell had actually purchased this costume at IAAPA and, believing it was a coyote, had tentatively dubbed his new restaurant "Coyote Pizza". Later Caesarland, torn down ca. Oldest operating At this particular convention their exhibit was hard to miss, as two fully animated shows were on display, The Wolf Pack 5 and the Hard Luck Bears, occupying their own large room across from the main exhibit area. The 2-Stage in Florence, Kentucky was the only 2-Stage in the state and was originally from the Hampton, Virginia location which closed in 2002. Another change made to the second store is the alteration of the disco room which became the sports room. This gave the team at CEI the time and opportunity to create a new animatronic show that would be exclusively used for ShowBiz. The next day the AP had published an article making headlines in hundreds of news outlets. At Ampex Bushnell befriended a co-worker named Ted Dabney, and soon enough the two were in discussions about starting a business together - specifically a pizza parlor that incorporated Disneyesque entertainment. Jasper had his barrel that is usually on the 3-Stage, as well as his banjo. New entertainment ventures were explored as part of the Attractions Development Program - these ranged from minor cost-saving entertainment enhancements to full scale changes, such as toying with the idea of removing the Rock-afire Explosion from ShowBiz restaurants. In 1988 Brock Hotel Corp changed it's name to Integra (A Hotel and Restaurant Company) and shortly after announced plans to spin-off ShowBiz Pizza Time into a publicly traded company, as that year ShowBiz's sales increased 8.3%. Albuquerque (Wyoming), is the 8th oldest former PTT still in operation. New logos and a rebranding also took place, with ShowBiz Pizza Place becoming simply ShowBiz Pizza, and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre becoming Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. Most leases weren't being paid, debt wasn't being paid at all, and all revenue was allocated to make payroll and paying suppliers for what was absolutely needed to operate. Along with refining their mascot, a group of supporting characters was also developed. With the help of the Hallwood Group, major financial restructuring is undertaken. Concept Unification lasted for approximately two years, and by 1992 all restaurants were united under the single banner of Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. They had curtains until 2017. Opened in October 1979 as the 5th Pizza Time Theatre with a Portrait Stage. Jasper is sitting on a 3-stage style can instead of the normal Cyberamic speaker. Upon graduating, Bushnell left Utah and moved to California with the hopes of becoming an engineer for Disney. Those locations are Sunnyvale, California (HQ), Campbell, California (Gilbert's HQ), Reno, Nevada, Tampa, Florida, Santa Cruz, California and Campbell, California, with only one showtape for the character being known to exist. He created The Atari Restaurant Operating Division. Former PTT. Sources of revenue were in greater need and the company began to remove the "free" entertainment options in many locations - pulling out Skytubes and Toddler Zone's and replacing them with additional games or, in some stores that had the room, bumper cars and other premium attractions. The 2-Stage in Philadelphia "Roosevelt", Pennsylvania had Chuck E. wearing his Rockstar outfit and the North Wales mask and featured a wall piece. WebShowBiz Cinemas offer 7 locations throughout Texas. During the early expansion, both entities made additions and refinements to their respective entertainment. They were slow to pursue new inventions such as the Atari 2600 home video game system, and Bushnell's unhappiness reached a peak in November 1978. WebPlaces Near Los Angeles, CA with Showbiz Pizza Zone. Now Chuck E. Cheese's: Clawson: 1241 W. 14 Mile Rd. Unfortunately after making ShowBiz it's own publicly traded company, Integra never recovered. 590 Twin Tiers Road, Corning, New A second location was secured in San Jose on Kooser Road. This year, the ball's theme is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. When one of the online fans contacted him directly to ask if he was still doing the voice, Brannan responded by posting a "press release" to his Facebook wall describing how he was let go in a farewell letter to his fans. The only other Existing Stage left in New Jersey is in Middletown, which has a. Chuck E. Cheese's - Newington, NH (2002) NEW JERSEY Landrum had recently worked with Atari doing a market study for the Atari VCS (2600) and Bushnell entrusted him to flesh out the pizza parlor concept. Believing the restaurant would become so successful it would eventually compete with Disney, Bushnell named this costume Rick Rat, as "Rickey Rat" was a little too close to "Mickey Mouse" for legal comfort. The atmosphere just had a special feel to it. The Springfield location closed on June 18th, 2020. When Pizza Time went public in 1981 it increased Bushnell's worth to somewhere in the range of $70 million much of it in Pizza Time stock. San Diego / Mira Mesa, California, United States. This contested battle remained pending in the California courts for over 2 years. For further research and study, please peruse our collection of PDF documents in the ShowBizPizza.com University. Bushnell remained as the head of Atari, but many of his ideas and pet projects wind up ignored by his new corporate bosses. Billy Bob is also introduced at the 1st ShowBiz and exists not on stage as an animated character, but only in walk-around character form. As the companies battled for customers, Bushnell placed Pizza Time in the hands of others while he invested his interest and time in other ventures. The original Shakey s Pizza concept was created by Sherwood Shakey Johnson and Big Ed Plummer in 1954. Pasqually has a unique drum set, that instead of being dark red like other 2-Stages, is an off-white color. New attractions such as a cabaret room featuring Dolli Dimples, a piano playing hippo, and the Fantasy Forest Game Preserve (named after Goldbrandsen's Fantasy Forest company) were new additions for the Kooser store. ShowBiz Pizza.com does NOT have any affiliation with CEC Entertainment Inc, or Creative Engineering Inc. No copyright/trademark infringement is intended. Upon the opening of ShowBiz Pizza Place, Bushnell sued Brock and Topeka Inn Several changes included Helen's yellow hair, neon lights around the buildings and the Wink, Chuck E. wearing his Avenger Chuck hat until late 2019 and the curtains were re-enabled to close manually. These characters were the original Pizza Time Players, and were soon fabricated into animated form by Goldbrandsen. By 1985, Richard M. Frank joined the company as CEO and chairman. http://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/spt/spt_2stage-install.pdf, http://w11.zetaboards.com/Retro_Pizza_Zone/topic/11546016/4/, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A few of the existing Pizza Time franchises used outside animation such as the Family Album and Hot Fudge shows because of the availability shortage of Pizza Time animation during the company's slow years. Not a member yet and want to join? There has been an error with your log in. Ironically, the arguably most valuable asset left to Pizza Time's remaining estate was the settlement agreement that was still owed by ShowBiz. New cabaret characters included Artie Antlers (1980), and B.B. (2020), 2-Stage in Newington, New Hampshire (Now closed), 2-stage in Skokie, Illinois in 2015 (Now 2.0), 2-stage in Skokie, Illinois in 2017 (now 2.0), The Chuck E. Cheese's 2-Stage In Lansing, Michigan (2020/2021), 2-Stage in White Settlement, Texas (Now closed), The 2-Stage in Danvers, Massachusetts. In 1995 the company began major remodels which are known as Phase I. Along with the standardization of the inner mechs, this was all done purposely to ease both the manufacturing of the animation and make the production cost effective. The 300th company-owned location was opened in March of 2000, and franchised locations were aggressively purchased back by the company. The following is an overview of the 40+ year history of Chuck E. Cheese's. For a more focused history regarding the individual characters and animatronic shows used, check out the Chuck E. Cheese's Characters and Rock-afire Explosion sections of ShowBizPizza.com. The name wasn't meant to be however, as it was discovered that Marriott had already trademarked the name for its own chain of restaurants. Bushnell refused to release him from the contract, so Brock began discussions with Fechter about the formation of a new company which would be jointly controlled by TIM and CEI. This location removed their stage for 2.0 in August 2022. Pizza Time Theatre lost $15 million while Atari, the video game giant, lost $539 million. In order to stave of bankruptcy, debt was renegotiated with 96 percent of Brock's creditors and reduced the debt from $110 million to $30 million. By the late 1980s, these stores received the new Chuck E. Cheese stages the first new stages to be produced since the balcony stage in the early 1980s. The Rock-afire Explosion was an amalgam of the Wolf Pack 5 and the Hard Luck Bears and featured the characters Rolfe & Earl, Duke LaRue, Fats Geronimo, Beach Bear, Mitzi Mozzarella, Billy Bob, and the Looney Bird. This location's stage was removed for 2.0. Radio queen Jackie 'O' Henderson shows off her slimmed down figure in a crisp white ensemble as she plays tennis in Sydney - after revealing she's lost 18kg in five months A new standardized show format was implemented system wide and was known as the 'Birthday Wave' format. The Wolf Pack 5 show entertains guests every few minutes with a short show throughout the day. Opened in October 1979 as the 5th Pizza Time Theatre with a Portrait Stage. Huntington Park (8 miles) Glendale (10 miles) West Hollywood (12 miles) Alhambra (12 miles) San Gabriel (14 Promotional paraphernalia was distributed via Pizza Time's PR firm Eesley Public Relations. In order to stay ahead of their competitor and gain a greater market share of the pizza entertainment industry, both companies continue to innovate and enhance their entertainment, albeit with differing philosophies. Bushnell had the idea to create a cheaper version of the game that could be marketed at the consumer level. The seller jokingly argues that all a truly dedicated fan Buyer pays for return shipping. [1] The concept is a sit-down pizza restaurant, complemented by arcade games, amusement rides, an animatronic show, and other diversions, such as climbing equipment, tubes, and slides all mainly directed at younger children. Jasper is sitting on a 3-stage style can instead of the normal Cyberamic speaker. One of the first moves was to introduce new licensed characters to the stage. This former grocery store was 19,000 square feet and nearly four times the size of the Winchester store. In 2014 Apollo Global Management acquired Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. and its 577 worldwide stores for approximately $950 million. The pre-Apollo management team at Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. all resigned within a month including CEO Michael Magusiak, chairman Richard M. Frank, Tommy Franks, Tim Morris, Cynthia Pharr Lee and Walter Tyree. Unable to compete in the arcade industry, his full attention became devoted to creating an empire of Pizza Time Theatre restaurants. It opened on May 17, 2012, coinciding with the 35th At ShowBiz's request, CEI altered the original Wolf Pack 5 showtape to include references to the new restaurant and changed Queenie into Mini Mozzarella because ShowBiz wanted a mouse to go with the 'pizza' theme of the restaurant. There was an issue with your log in. 17 Released However, any successful roll-out of the rebranding that the company was planning, quickly went up in flames prior to the official debut. This locations stage was removed on March 31, 2022, to make way for 2.0. The three stage format gave more flexibility with the way shows could be presented one stage could perform by itself, or different combinations of stages could be used to increase the theatrical aspect of the entertainment. The original was called Chuck E.'s House (aka the Rocker stage) which featured the characters on a porch and inside of a house, and a later version called Chuck E's House Faade (aka the C-Stage) which was a scaled down retrofit that didn't have full bodies on the three characters in the center. Phase III remodels were instituted in 2000 with a focus on enhanced games and rides and all new Toddler Zone and Skytube improvements. Although Atari soon found themselves successful, Dabney left the company in early 1973 after having a falling out with Bushnell. The 2-Stage in Philadelphia "Snyder", Pennsylvania, had a speaker underneath Munch's keyboard like most 2-Stages. The name "Chuck E. Cheese" was eventually chosen, as it was both alliterative of Mickey Mouse and because it was a three-smile name - just saying it forced a person's mouth to smile. One key difference that set the Rock-afire apart from Pizza Time's show was that it had three stages. This location received 2.0 in 2021. WebThere was a former ShowBiz Pizza Place (Plaza in some advertising) location in Guatemala City (Zona 9) that opened in 1986. August 1993. By September of 1990 all ties with Creative Engineering had been broken and nine ShowBiz stores had removed the Rock-afire Explosion characters, retrofitting them to resemble the Chuck E. Cheese characters. WebLocated in: Citrus Heights, California, United States Delivery: Estimated between Fri, May 5 and Mon, May 8 to 98837 Returns: 30 day returns. The number of new stores that open during 1980-1982 explode; often times competing stores are opened within sight of one another. It was during this period that he learned the business side of the entertainment industry, studying the leisure habits of consumers and figuring out ways to market to those habits. Last 2-Stage / MMBB stage in Virginia. In the summer of 2012 Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. was ready to make some major changes to push the brand forward in a new direction. TIM immediately issued a counter-suit against Pizza Time Theatre (and Bushnell personally) on the grounds of misrepresentation. With the company no longer franchising in the United States, many franchisees who were wanting to expand found themselves unable to grow their business and instead opted to sell their units back. This location is currently the 5th oldest Chuck E. Cheese location and is currently the second oldest operating location to get the 2.0 Remodel, after Arlington, Texas, which received 2.0 in November 2022, and is the 3rd oldest operating location. Within hours other outlets and blogs were reporting about it - Gawker, the Huffington Post, Perez Hilton and many others had all written about it (many of them unfairly latching onto the parts of Brannan's posting regarding his religious views). Chuck E. has Cool Chuck outfit. Whereas the the original portrait characters were designed by hand and had cosmetics constructed with latex and fiberglass, the new character cosmetics were instead made of wood, foam, and cloth. It wasnt but a matter of months before they began seeking a way to venture out on their own. Although the Jutta garnered media buzz the current gasoline crisis left Fechter unable to raise enough capital to put the car into production. Just prior to the opening of ShowBiz's second store, they won the first round in court against Pizza Time Theatre. The 2-Stage in Chesapeake, Virginia (Sam's Circle) has a unique base for Chuck E. and his Avenger Chuck hat, Helen's 1990s mask, a PTT Chuck drumhead for Pasqually (from Hampton, VA after it relocated in 2002), and Jaspers overalls. No other outfits followed, leaving the Avenger look to become a mainstay for several years. Being an inventor and innovator, Bushnell's goals were to start a company, manage it to a stable and successful point, and then move onto new projects. At Pizza Time, new guest stars were introduced including Sally Sashay in 1979 and Harmony Howlette in 1981. Very poor condition. Improvements and innovations continued to be tested at the pilot store including the addition of revolving guest characters who would periodically join the animated cast to keep the show fresh - Helen Henny in August 1977, Madam Oink in February 1978, and Foxy Colleen in October 1978. Although the stage was too complex and unstable, it paved the way and gave rise to the Chuck E. Cheese stage show concept known as Studio C. Designed and produced by Garner Holt Productions, Studio C contained only one animated figure, Chuck E., with the other characters present only on television monitors. Bell's previous mask went to the Sun Valley location. 2000?, now Super Buffet: Canton: 42001 Ford Rd. At a time when arcades were popular in bowling alleys and bars, Bushnell sought to expose younger audiences to arcade games. All names, characters, and references in this site are copyright/trademark their respective owners. The 3-Stage in Tallahassee, Florida. The concept was based on the In 1985 Richard M. Frank joined the company as president and CEO of ShowBiz, replacing Brock who remained CEO and chairman of Brock Hotel Corp. Also in 1987, the company acquired most of the assets of Montery House Inc. a chain of Tex-Mex restaurants. By the mid-2000s the costumed Chuck E. was planned to have a flow of new outfits to keep the character fresh, each named after a progressing letter of the alphabet starting with "A". Former PTT. Munch also had his PTT mask. With the pending litigation hovering above both companies, Pizza Time and ShowBiz embark on an aggressive expansion plan. After almost 2 years of negotiation and production, Yogi Bear appeared in place of Billy Bob on stage at 3 test stores. Unsurprisingly, Bushnell sued Brock and ShowBiz Pizza in 1982, and Bushnell ended up getting a slice of ShowBizs profits for the next 14 years. Also, Pasqually's drums were blue and Munch had a PTT mask. The costume had become a physical, tangible symbol of what Bushnell was hoping to create. ShowBiz's parent company, Brock Hotel Corp, was also facing dire straits. On the main stage, where Chuck E. usually stands, there is a large-screen rear projection TV that plays the current showtape; above the TV is a color-changing Fiber Optic display that reads "Chuck E. Cheese". The 2-Stage in Covina, California still had the helicopter light. These new products included shopping on computers using laserdisc, computer controlled navigational maps for vehicles, robotic children's toys, and life-size personal robots. The 2-Stage in Tinley Park, Illinois, still has Munchs PTT mask and also has working fiber optic fireworks in the background. Get discounted tickets every Tuesday at all ShowBiz locations! Before its closure in 2020, the 2-Stage in Rochester Hills, Michigan had Chuck E.'s Rockstar shirt and Helen's old 1990s mask, and Jasper had his banjo. Before its closure in June 2020, the 2-Stage in Waterbury, Connecticut had Chuck E.'s Tuxedo outfit until it was removed in Summer 2011 and replaced with his Avenger outfit. He signed a Pre-Incorporation Agreement with Fechter to create ShowBiz Pizza Place Inc. ShowBiz was to be 80% owned by Brock and 20% by CEI. See details Payments: Special financing available. Sad to see this place gone. On December 31, 2009, it was permanently closed. One of 2 Existing Stages remaining in New Jersey. Other talent was soon secured - Greg Tilden became the Director of Technical Operations, Michael Hatcher became the Director of Entertainment, and Ray Davis was appointed Director of Engineering. (Now closed), The 2-Stage in Natick, Massachusetts. By the end of 1979, Pizza Time had 8 units open, including the first two outside of California. Billy Bob is loosely based on a character from CEI's Hard Luck Bears animatronic show. WebShowBizPizza.com | Where Everyone Can Be a Kid. ShowBiz Pizza.com does NOT have any affiliation with CEC Entertainment Inc, or Creative Engineering Inc. No copyright/trademark infringement is intended. This location closed in June 2020. However, unable to bring in enough revenue or secure loans to pay down interest on the company's debt, Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection June 25, 2020. In order to make this purchase, a 90% agreement was needed - of which Brock only owned 80% of ShowBiz (with CEI owning the other 20%, effectively giving Fechter veto power over any such changes). Radio queen Jackie 'O' Henderson shows off her slimmed down figure in a crisp white ensemble as she plays tennis in Sydney - after revealing she's lost 18kg in five months Creative Engineering had been operating since 1975, originally incorporated for the purpose of manufacturing the inventions of its (then) 21 year old President, Aaron Fechter. Despite the apparent success of the Winchester pilot store, the heads of Warner Communications were disinterested in the concept. The first ShowBiz Pizza Place location opened its doors on March 3, 1980, in Kansas City, MO. After bringing Goldbrandsen on board to create the costume and animated puppets, Landrum hired Robert (Bob) Allen Black an artist who had worked previously with Atari. When that attempt failed, he went to work for Ampex Corp, a video equipment maker in Redwood City, California. Opened in August? It was not only one of the proposed restaurant titles, but also the name the mascot rat. WebBilly Bob Brockali (or Billy Bob for short) was the mascot of ShowBiz Pizza Place. Features: Bowling, Cafe, Arcade, Event Rooms, Reserved Seating, 3D, SDX, Features: Bowling, Cafe, Arcade + Redemption Room, Full Bar, Event Rooms, Reserved Seating, 3D, SDX, Features: Full Bar, Event Rooms, Reserved Seating, 3D, SDX, Features: Arcade, Full Bar, Event Room, Reserved Seating, 3D, SDX, Features: Bowling, Arcade, Full Bar, Event Room, Reserved Seating, 3D, SDX. In July of 1999, Discovery Zone files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and CEC Entertainment buys out their remaining assets and intellectual property, eliminating its only major competitor and securing themselves as the dominant family entertainment center in the U.S. A new kid friendly version of Chuck E. is also promoted, giving a thumbs-up gesture in the new restaurant logo. Prior to joining ShowBiz, Frank had been the COO of Steak and Ale which was quite successful. With the exception of a diagnostics video and a period in the mid Photos from Various Chuck E. Cheese's Locations, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza - Phoenix, AZ 'Northern', Chuck E. Cheese's - Tucson, AZ 'Speedway', Chuck E. Cheese's - Arlington Heights, IL, Chuck E. Cheese's - Kansas City, MO 'Antioch', Chuck E. Cheese's - Queens / Long Island, NY, Chuck E. Cheese's - Austin, TX 'Ben White', Chuck E. Cheese's - Houston, TX 'Antoine Rd', Chuck E. Cheese's - San Antonio, TX 'Bandera', Chuck E. Cheese's - San Antonio, TX 'Ingram', Chuck E. Cheese's - San Antonio, TX 'Military', Chuck E. Cheese's - San Antonio, TX 'Walzem', Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza - Unknown Store, WV, Chuck E. Cheese's - Whitby - Ontario, Canada, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #1, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #2, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #3, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #4, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #5, Chuck E. Cheese's - Unknown Locations Page #6. The most unique aspect of the Pizza Time Theatre was of course the animatronic show - life-sized animatronic critters that were placed in faux picture frames around the showroom and entertained guests free of charge throughout the day. Second oldest CEC location currently. The 2-Stage in Modesto, California has a black valence, and it does not feature The Wink. In 1982 the contested lawsuit between Pizza Time and ShowBiz is settled out of court, with ShowBiz agreeing to pay Pizza Time a portion of its profits for the next 14 years an expense estimated to be in the range of $50 million. The first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre opened on May 17, 1977 in San Jose, California. In May the company had announced they were working with the Dallas-based Richard's Group on the new marketing campaign. Has Chuck E.s mask from Sun Valley, California. New lounge characters included Helen Henny (1979), The Beagles (1980), The King (1981), The Beach Bowzers (1982) and King Kat (1984). According to the online business database/directory Manta, this place was founded in 1983, so they had a great run! WebPlaces Near Los Angeles, CA with Showbiz Pizza Place. Jasper was sitting on a real speaker and the MMBB sign was absent. Fourth oldest CEC location currently. It was the only 2-Stage in Chile, and now, this stage is at the Mall Plaza, Oeste location in the form of a 1-Stage. The game, while not a complete flop, was far from what one would consider a success. This location closed in July 2017 and the animatronics were sent to the 3-Stage in Springfield, Massachusetts, with Jasper's banjo remaining.