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290:, founder of CEI and creator of The Rock-afire Explosion, claimed in 2008 that the fallout was due to a demand by Showbiz to own CEI's licensing and copyrights to the animatronics show. Fechter says he refused, since Showbiz did not offer monetary compensation for the rights. Despite the refusal, CEI's creative control was jeopardized, as ShowBiz had the ability to program the characters and replicate their voices, allowing them to make changes to the skits. ShowBiz later returned the recording rights to Fechter following CEI's Liberty Show production (in commemoration of the
312:. The following year, it severed all ties with CEI and began restructuring the restaurant chains under "Concept Unification". The change consisted of removing the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic show from their restaurants and converting it into a new show called "Chuck E. Cheese & Munch's Make Believe Band", featuring characters from Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Over the course of several years, ShowBiz Pizza locations were rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese's, effectively ending the "ShowBiz Pizza" brand within the restaurant storefront.
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260:(CEI) were designing more advanced animatronics, and he became concerned that competitors would emerge with better technology. Bushnell had reassured Brock at the signing of the franchising agreement that the company's technology would continue to evolve. However, prior to the opening of his first location, Brock decided to void the agreement with Pizza Time and enter a partnership with CEI, forming ShowBiz Pizza Place, Inc., in December 1979.
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used in the ShowBiz Pizza chain distinguished it from its rival, which offered many of the same services. When Pizza Time
Theatre declared bankruptcy in 1984, ShowBiz merged with the struggling franchise to settle a former court settlement mandate, forming ShowBiz Pizza Time. Following a severing of
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Richard M. Frank joined the company as president and chief operating officer in 1985. In 1986, he was named chairman and chief executive officer of the restaurant division. Based on customer research, Frank instituted a number of changes to appeal to younger children and parents. Specific measures
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to launch the first arcade-oriented, family restaurant with computer-programmed animatronics. At a time when arcades were popular in bowling alleys and bars, Bushnell sought to expose younger audiences to arcade games. In May 1977, Atari opened the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time
Theatre in San
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Showbiz Pizza's primary rival, Pizza Time
Theatre, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1984. Its assets, including the Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant chain, were purchased by Brock Hotel Corporation in May 1985. The two pizza restaurant subsidiaries merged, forming ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. – a
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hotels. In 1979, Brock signed a multi-million-dollar franchising agreement with Pizza Time
Theatre Inc., planning to open as many as 280 Chuck E. Cheese's locations across 16 states. Shortly thereafter, Brock noticed that companies such as
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included increased lighting, a redesigned food menu, table service, self-serve fountain drinks, a revamped ride selection, and distinct toddler areas, but relations between ShowBiz and
Creative Engineering began to deteriorate.
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for $ 1.3 billion. In
December 2020, the company was sold to Monarch Alternative Capital after it emerged from its June bankruptcy that same year, and CEC Entertainment, Inc. was renamed to CEC Entertainment, LLC.
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Jose, California. The concept was an immediate success, and
Bushnell purchased the Pizza Time restaurant from Atari for $ 500,000 in 1978, stepping down as chairman and forming Pizza Time Theatre Inc.
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273:, on March 3, 1980. By September 1981, there were 48 company-owned outlets and 42 franchises. The company's headquarters was moved the following year to Irving, Texas.
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The Brock Hotel
Corporation assumed 80% control of the company, while the remaining 20% stake went to Creative Engineering. CEI produced the chain's animatronics show,
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The two companies became competitors and found early success, partly due to the rise in popularity of arcade games during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The type of
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franchise, Pizza Time
Theatre. ShowBiz Pizza restaurants entertained guests through a large selection of arcade games, coin-operated rides, and
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combination of the two previous company names. Following the merger, both restaurant chains continued to operate as separate entities.
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ties with CEI in 1990, ShowBiz Pizza locations were rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese locations, which took several years to complete.
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Conversions began in 1990 and were known to occur until at least 1994. The date of the final store conversion is not known.
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As
Bushnell marketed the franchise, hoping to expand into new markets, the concept attracted high-profile clients such as
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294:'s centennial in 1986), but they did not return the programming rights.
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Vartan, Vartanig (March 29, 1984). "Pizza Time Files For Protection".
194:(CEI). It emerged after a separation between Brock and owners of the
233:, responsible for creating the first widely recognized video game,
743:"Chuck E. Cheese parent CEC Entertainment emerges from bankruptcy"
716:"Chuck E. Cheese to Leave Bankruptcy With $ 490 Million Less Debt"
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423:"If Chuck E. Cheese goes away, so does a bit of San Jose history"
269:. The first ShowBiz Pizza Place location opened to the public in
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Wagner, Diane (September 5, 1981). "Show Time at Pizza Chain".
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In 1989, ShowBiz Pizza Time became a public company with its
674:"History of CEC Entertainment, Inc. – FundingUniverse"
455:"The History of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza"
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A child speaking with Billy Bob at ShowBiz Pizza in
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186:and restaurant pizza chain founded in 1980 by
593:"High Profits from a Weird Pizza Combination"
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698:"Apollo to Buy Out Chuck E. Cheese Parent".
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840:American companies disestablished in 1994
382:List of pizza chains of the United States
647:"Chuck E. Cheese Gets New Lease on Life"
239:, headed a project in the mid-1970s for
457:. CEC Entertainment Inc. Archived from
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251:, known for his extensive portfolio of
835:American companies established in 1980
301:A child on a ride at ShowBiz Pizza in
518:"ShowBiz Pizza – Chuck E Cheese Saga"
27:Defunct arcade/restaurant pizza chain
7:
741:Fantozzi, Joanna (January 4, 2021).
572:from the original on August 13, 2024
611:from the original on March 18, 2009
480:Wagner, Diane (September 5, 1981).
800:Restaurants disestablished in 1993
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805:Defunct companies based in Kansas
775:Pizza chains of the United States
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44:Original logo first used in 1980
830:1993 disestablishments in Texas
795:Restaurants established in 1980
704:. January 16, 2014. p. B5.
645:Oates, Sarah (July 15, 1985).
421:Pizarro, Sal (June 27, 2020).
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825:1980 establishments in Kansas
520:. Burger Beast. July 28, 2009
591:Kinkead, Gwen (July 1982).
184:family entertainment center
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749:. Nation's Restaurant News
565:The Topeka Capital-Journal
482:"SHOW TIME AT PIZZA CHAIN"
349:Logo used 1986–early 1990s
258:Creative Engineering, Inc.
97:Creative Engineering, Inc.
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317:Apollo Global Management
277:ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc.
266:The Rock-afire Explosion
820:Animatronic attractions
678:www.fundinguniverse.com
167:ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc
377:Billy Bob's Wonderland
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303:Fayetteville, Arkansas
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224:Fayetteville, Arkansas
568:. December 12, 2009.
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271:Kansas City, Missouri
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337:Logo used 1980–1990s
192:Creative Engineering
722:. December 15, 2020
652:The Washington Post
461:on January 18, 2015
310:stock market launch
176:ShowBiz Pizza Place
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33:ShowBiz Pizza Place
18:Showbiz Pizza Place
701:The New York Times
632:The New York Times
604:. pp. 62–68.
542:The New York Times
486:The New York Times
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182:, was an American
73:December 1979
815:Theme restaurants
785:Defunct pizzerias
292:Statue of Liberty
229:Atari co-founder
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16:(Redirected from
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459:the original
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178:, or simply
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135:Headquarters
117:Merged into
50:Company type
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658:December 4,
524:December 4,
465:January 15,
253:Holiday Inn
200:animatronic
769:Categories
753:January 5,
683:August 13,
576:August 13,
499:August 13,
432:August 13,
408:References
64:Restaurant
494:0362-4331
125:Successor
109:mid-1990s
615:March 3,
606:Archived
570:Archived
355:See also
151:Products
60:Industry
747:nrn.com
720:wsj.com
601:Fortune
214:History
106:Defunct
85:Founder
77:1979-12
75: (
70:Founded
492:
162:Parent
54:Public
609:(PDF)
596:(PDF)
388:Notes
324:Logos
241:Atari
155:Pizza
755:2021
728:2020
685:2024
660:2022
617:2009
578:2024
526:2022
501:2024
490:ISSN
467:2015
434:2024
236:Pong
190:and
145:U.S.
114:Fate
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
