In 1991, a process known as "Concept Unification" was initiated by Showbiz Pizza Time. Showbiz Pizza Place is a restaurant/family entertainment center chain that has been popular since the 1980s. The battle hinged not on pizza, but on robotics. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. It was the little pieces of ShowBiz I had at home that kept the obsession alive between visits. Fechter had also created and lost the rights to Whac-A-Mole before diving into animatronics.. Also embroiled in the conflict were a dog, a cat, a pack of wolves, a handful of bears, and the worlds most famous animatronic rat: Chuck E. Cheese.. On Dook's original stage, there was an owl that was just a prop, and did not move or speak. "The Rolfe and Earle Show" was the final Rock-afire show. A row of tables and booths purchased from a former ShowBiz Pizza franchise location in Florida line the center of the room. I didnt have any preconceived idea that I knew how to run a restaurant, but I knew simple was better.. Showbiz Pizza Place/Locations - Nolan Bushnell leaves Atari and purchases the Pizza Time Theatre assets for $500,000, founding Pizza Time Theatre, Inc. 1979 [1] They performed medleys of classic rock, pop, and country music, as well as original compositions and comedic skits.[2]. Videos of the performancesposted to his YouTube[18] upon completionare credited with helping to further revive interest in the group and ShowBiz Pizza, and spurred individuals who owned their own Rock-afire bands to begin programming new shows themselves. Maybe he was too far along in his plans to change course, or perhaps he shared Bushnells view that pizza just made the most sense in terms of build schedule. As Bushnell noted in his Atlanticinterview, pizza has very few components and not too many ways to screw it up. 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%. A dramatically eroding canyon thousands of miles from the desert. The Rock-afire Explosion uses four recorded tracks, two for audio and two for data. This website is made possible by the fans of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza. The Rock-afire Explosion - Wikipedia 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. Production of the show's programming and audio was done in-house by Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. 1995 ShowBiz Pizza Place was similar to (and competed with) Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, another animatronic restaurant chain that was popular in the United States. I was four years old when I first visited a ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurant. 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. [20], Smitty's Super Service Station has a fully functional show in Sandy Hook, Mississippi. The first ShowBiz Pizza location opened in Kansas City in 1980three years and 1800 miles away from the first Chuck E. Cheese locationoffering a suspiciously similar combination of. The remodel included the elimination of all Rock-afire characters from merchandise and advertising, and retrofitting/reprogramming the Rock-afire Explosion animatronics into a show called Munch's Make Believe Band, featuring the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre characters. Pizza, 1154 E Ogden Ave., An attempt to take the company public through a merger with the shell company Leo Holdings Corporation falls apart shortly after being announced. Our goal is simple - to make sure that every fan leaves educated! Brock and Fechter were victorious. When Pizza Time Theatre filed for bankruptcy in 1984, ShowBiz bought the company, hoping that new talent and merchandising opportunities could save both companies. The replacement of Brannan with Reddick was met with backlash, but the company issued the following statement: "Brannan was not fired from Chuck E. Cheese's, rather we simply chose to utilize new voice talent for the original music we have written as part of a TV advertising campaign in partnership with The Richards Group. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Shrouded in secrecy and rumor, the Mafia is a loose-knit group of fans who have dedicated themselves to keeping the spirit of this hobby alive. List of current Montgomery Ward locations. Even though ShowBizPizza.com is a monument to days long past (and not to mention that I personally hate change) every now and then it's time for an upgrade. This, however, was a more thinly-veiled attempt to shut down Showbiz Pizza and merge it into the expanding Chuck E. Cheese's chain. Bushnell continued to run the business himself until other franchisers gradually trickled in. When Brock met him, Fechter had just finished building an animatronic musical act called The Wolf-Pack Five. Brock instantly realized Fechters animatronics were more advanced than Bushnells. In addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter provided several of the characters' voices. You're currently viewing the new "5.0" version of ShowBizPizza.com. If you've been here before, you probably notice some differences. I spent the next few years of my childhood absolutely obsessed with ShowBiz and The Rock-afire Explosion. - Chuck E. Cheese's drops the possessive and rebrands as simply "Chuck E. Cheese". He dreamed of becoming the next Walt Disney, and even went as far as to call his animatronic characters the greatest entertainment medium to come out of the 1980s. In an early 80s interview with Fortune magazine, Fechter explained, Brocks benefiting financially from the dealhes making moneybut Im going to change the world. But Fechters days of unrestrained invention wouldnt last for long. - The great video game crash occurs in the United States, and both companies slow their expansion. Our goal is simple - to make sure that every fan leaves educated! Unused animatronics (which included Billy Bob, Earl, and Antioch) and props were either sold off or destroyed. It's admittedly a little less flashy, a little less artsy, but most importantly it's responsive across all devices. Their movements were more subtle, their facial expressions changed, their lupine drummer could really play the drums. Tabitha is a fan and collector herself, and the owner of several different animatronic characters from various animatronic manufacturers. 2014 In terms of food, Chuck E. Cheese was the clear winner: ShowBizs pizza was cheaper but bland, whereas Chuck E. Cheese delivered tasty pizza, with a thin, matzo-like crust. Nearest Restaurants in Naperville, IL. The Rock-afire Explosion was an animatronic character band that appeared in ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurants from 1980 to 1992. 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. Restaurants, Blog [3][6] In 1999, CEC Entertainment, Inc. bought out competitor Discovery Zone. The final traces of the Showbiz Pizza name . I was terrified of them, and spent the majority of the night turned away from the stage when they would come out, staring instead at the patrons behind us and the back wall of the showroom. Since 1999, we have been the premiere online resource for people seeking to learn more about this unique restaurant concept. 2005 Brock promised Bushnell financial support, and Bushnell, in return, promised Brock the best animatronic technology in the world. [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. For the first year of its operation, the restaurant was actually a division of Atari Inc., but in June 1978, Bushnell purchased all the assets and rights from Atari for $500,000 and formed Pizza Time Theatre as a private corporation, with himself initially acting as president and chairman. Showbiz Pizza Place in Naperville, IL, 1154 E Ogden Ave. All rights reserved. CEC Entertainment | ShowBiz Pizza Wiki | Fandom 1986 To the right, there's a small arcade room complete with black. Restaurants Get Store Hours, phone number, location, reviews and coupons for Showbiz Pizza Place located at 1154 E Ogden Ave., Naperville, IL, 60563 The Showbiz Pizza Forum arena in Del Uno, West Cybersland. [4][5] ShowBiz Pizza Place was conceptually identical to Pizza Time Theatre in all aspects except for animatronics; which would be provided by Creative Engineering. 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. Logofanonpedia is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Offer subject to change without notice. He eventually teamed up with Bob Brock, chairman of the Brock Hotel Corporation, one of the largest franchisees of Holiday Inns. Dick Frank is hired as the new President of ShowBiz Pizza Time. Smitty's Super Service Station - Atlas Obscura IL He opened Smittys in 2007, and moved the operation to its current location in 2018. 1990 Its unclear why Brock didnt alter the restaurant concept more to differentiate it from its progenitor; he could have easily swapped out pizza for any number of casual dining options (why not ShowBiz Burgers?). 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. At the time, Bushnell was selling Atari consoles to arcades: though he made between $1500 to $2000 for each console sold, arcades were reaping in profits in the tens of thousands. As the internet has changed course over the past 20 years, so has this website. 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. 1992 By 1992, all restaurants assumed the name of Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. Brock files a countersuit against Pizza Time Theatre and Bushnell on the grounds of misrepresentation. Production of the show's programming and audio was done in-house by Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. Do not pick up any hitch hikers in this area, a prison is nearby. 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. 60563 As sales improved at ShowBiz locations with the 3-Stage, ShowBiz Pizza Time (the merged company of ShowBiz and Chuck E. Cheese's) decided to bring Munch's Make Believe Band to Chuck E. Cheese's locations, first with the Road Stage, then with the 1 and 2-Stages . Contents 1 History 1.1 Origin 1.2 Installation and Format 2 Design 2.1 Stage Right (Chuck E. Cheese) Most locations with these stages were originally Showbiz Pizza Place locations. Each continued its own stage shows and sold different merchandise. In 2013, a high-pressure bottle of Fechters Carbohydrillium exploded, nearly demolishing the Creative Engineering warehouse. 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. Each eye roll, head bob, and wave of the hand had to be programmed individually, a process that took hours. Number of Locations Unfortunately, one projectan alternative fuel called Carbohydrilliumexperienced some major setbacks. Showbiz Pizza's 100+ locations had all been replaced by the Chuck E. Cheese brand by 1992, but for some, their fond memories had no substitute. ShowBiz Pizza restaurants entertain guests through a large selection of arcade games, coin-operated rides, and animatronic stage shows as a way to provide a complete package of food and entertainment. [10] Jaret Reddick, lead singer of the musical group Bowling for Soup, was hired to become the new voice of Chuck E. Cheese,[11] after having been voiced by Duncan Brannan for 19 years. An experiment of Paul Linden and Dave Philipsen using JVC BR-7000 VHS Hi-Fi tape decks which integrated two stereo audio tracks, two longitudinal data tracks, and video led to a system in 1988 where television screens were installed above the Rock-afire stage as the company introduced their new Cyberstar TV screen system. ShowBiz Pizza Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. 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. Major remodeling is tested at both ShowBiz and Pizza Time locations. Following Pizza Time Theatre's bankruptcy filing in 1984, however, ShowBiz Pizza Place bought the struggling franchise and formed ShowBiz Pizza Time Inc., a combination of the former companies' names. Unsurprisingly, Bushnell sued Brock and ShowBiz Pizza in 1982, and Bushnell ended up getting a slice of ShowBiz's profits for the next 14 years. [17], Fechter terminated all of his employees over several years, with the last 3 being terminated in 2003. I spent the next few years of my childhood absolutely obsessed with ShowBiz and The Rock-afire Explosion. In 1991, a process known as "Concept Unification" was initiated by Showbiz Pizza Time. Just like Chuck E. Cheese's and Showbiz Pizza, the animatronic display was the . Tabitha is best recognized as the host of the original ShowBizPizza.com YouTube show "Pizza Time". USA Store Fanon Wikia is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. - Bushnell resigns as chairman of Pizza Time. The two restaurants have a complicated history, operating as competitors and sister brands at different times. 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. In the end, though Fechter and Bushnell have moved on to new endeavors, the pizza warsand the ultimate loss of their companiesleft a bad taste in their mouths. Move over Chuck E. Cheese, The Rock-Afire Explosion is forever etched in the memories of every kid who entered the doors of the greatest pizza place ever! - ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. changes its company name to Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. The last Showbiz Pizza location in the United States was shut down in 1994. - ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. is spun-off from parent company Integra (formerly Brock Hotel Corp) and becomes publicly traded. Showbiz Pizza Place was a family restaurant chain founded in 1980 by Robert L. Brock and Creative Engineering. But once again, victory was short-lived, only this time for Fechter. Sales begin to weaken for both chains. Located where Auto Zone is today, the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 31 and Arnold Street, ShowBiz opened in the early 1980s and was . She also helps with gathering and organizing photographs and information that is utilized on ShowBizPizza.com. His Rock-afire performances became increasingly complex. Even without any sort of website building skills or know-how, the basis of what would become ShowBizPizza.com was born. A child uses a microphone to speak with Billy Bob at the ShowBiz Pizza location in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It continued to operate both Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz locations independently (by that point, its likely Chuck E. Cheese was simply too popular a character to kill off) and renamed the company Showbiz Pizza Time. Unlike other animatronic shows of the early 1980s, the Rock-afire Explosion was life-sized, with most of the performers about the size of an average adult human. - Chuck E. Cheese's purchases its former competitor, Discovery Zone. The lineup includes Dook LaRue, Beach Bear, Fatz Geronimo and the rest of the original cast. As a result of the merger, Chuck E. Cheese's becomes a privately-held, wholly-owned subsidiary of affiliates of Apollo. [3] In 1998, the company renamed itself CEC Entertainment, Inc. Part of this renaming was related to a move from the NASDAQ to the NYSE. Brian is also responsible for the amazing bumpers you hear on Radio Showbiz, and has helped add a visual and audible level of professionalism to ShowBizPizza.com that wouldn't exist otherwise. All known Showbiz Pizza Place (and International locations - YouTube 0 (currently). Warner, however, had no interest in funding a weird restaurant full of singing robots. The corporation maintained the two restaurant chains simultaneously for several years. A Rock-afire 3-Stage setup. Additionally, some characters from Chuck E. Cheese are on hand to extend the show. A new kid friendly version of Chuck E. is also promoted, giving a thumbs-up gesture in the new restaurant logo. Creative Engineering Inc. (partially lost audio of animatronic The first ShowBiz Pizza location opened in Kansas City in 1980three years and 1800 miles away from the first Chuck E. Cheese locationoffering a suspiciously similar combination of pizza, video games, and performing robots. Even without any sort of website building skills or know-how, the basis of what would become ShowBizPizza.com was born. USA Fanon Wikia is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. [4] Brock immediately issued a counter-suit against Bushnell, citing misrepresentation. This largely forgotten piece of Cold War history stands hidden in the woods just north of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The New Antioch, East Cybersland location, known as the "family fun restaurant/center introduction" by the local residents. 2019 In the years since the robot pizza wars rocked America, Chuck E. Cheese has continued to soldier on. The first ShowBiz Pizza Place opened in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 3, 1980. No purchase necessary. [8] Chuck E. Cheese's celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007. One also operated in Salmiya, Kuwait, but was firebombed during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait during August 1989 and was repaired or reopened. 1994 - Having completed Concept Unification, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza becomes the exclusive store brand operated by the company. - Facing slowing sales, Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment Inc. revamps the Chuck E. Cheese mascot, transforming him into a computer generated rock star. About | ShowBizPizza.com Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. It was the fall of 1984 and my family was there to celebrate my cousin's birthday party. List of Showbiz Pizza locations Edit Current FL-71, Port St. Joe, Florida - (opened May 17, 1992) - Replaced the 5351 Co Rd 30E location. Fechter, growing increasingly disillusioned with ShowBiz, began turning to other projects: In addition to building a series of new animatronics and high-tech Rock-afire toys, he started work on the Anti-Gravity Machine, a predecessor to email, which could send messages over telephone lines. Unprofitable locations are closed. 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.