Showbiz Pizza Place - Life in America 

To this day I have a shoebox filled with Showbiz/Chuck E. Cheese tickets and tokens that once belonged to my daughter now past on. I get a sense of solace rummaging through it while reminiscing and envying her childhood. Everyone be careful and stay safe out there..

Growing up in Michigan, I was OBSESSED going to Showbiz Pizza when I was a kid, as for me, the animatronic show was like going to Disney.

This place was magical. I can remember the way it smelled.

But I don't wanna go, 5 more minutes Pleeeese mom. Great memories and thank you.

Back in 1982 I worked at a Chuck E Cheese. Occasionally I got to put on the Chuck E costume and mingle among the guests. It was alot of fun.

I was a game tech in the early 90’s, them kids thought I had the best job in world 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Let me tell you about a magical time to be a kid called the 1980's. A trip to Showbiz Pizza was like going to Disneyland if you were a kid in the Midwest.

My family was very broke back in the '80s but I remember going to ShowBiz Pizza the one time we could go. It was amazing! It's one of the few good memories I have of my childhood.

I was hired right out of high school to sculpt the Chuck E. Cheese "skins" by the company who did the retrofit of the Chuck E Cheese characters on the Showbiz animatronics. It was a pretty fun gig.

Oh my word! My son is 47. I had his 8th birthday party at Showbiz. The animal band was awesome! What memories! There is still a Chuck E Cheese in my area.❤

I remember Billy Bob singing a song called "Roast Beef Sandwich and a Pizza" I used to have the record!

This channel feels like it pulls the best memories straight out of my mind. I really appreciate your work. I don't know why it took so long for this channel to appear home page for related or recommended viewing. Regardless of it being late, it's right on time for me. Thank you.

Showbiz & Chuck E Cheese! Went to both as a kid. I miss Astroworld big time! Conquered my fear of heights there back in the early ‘80’s. 93Q season pass for $29.95!

Great memories. The first time I went there around six years old, a major malfunction happened to the drummer robot in the middle of a song that caused it to freeze and shake violently. I watched as they stripped off its head and clothing down to its freaky robotic skeleton through a tear in the curtain. I was absolutely mortified and was very weary of them each following visit.

I worked at Show Biz in high school. We employees drank beer freely from the beverage bar. I’d get off work shit faced most nights. GOOD TIMES!

Showbiz! Lawton, OK 1980's was the place to go. Remember lots of toddler's afraid of the music shows. Lol, good times! Thanks for sharing

The character Chuck E. Cheese has gone through many transformations over the years. 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🐭🐭🐭🐭

There was a Showbiz in Southwest Fort Worth, Texas. I remember Billy Bob and his band. They once played "Talk To You Later" by The Tubes, and "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller. I remember they offered beer, which went good with the pizza.

I knew Bob Brock fairly well back in the late 60s. I didn't know until this video that he was one of the founders of Show Biz Pizza.

Wow, I remember all these characters from my childhood. I wished I could go back to those days!!!

Absolutely loved Showbiz Pizza! Great memories there. I wish it would’ve been around for my kids to experience it.

Me and my brother used to hang out/help at one in Charlotte,North Carolina in the mid 1980s. He played Bill Bob for birthday parties. I did a few times too. We loved the place!

Does anyone remember Farrels ice cream parlor ? That was my favorite place for birthdays when I was a kid

Awesome job on this video!

Loved going to Showbiz in the early 80s! I think I owned a doll of Beach Bear for the longest time.

Wow !!! This brought back so many memories !!!! Thank You !!!!

Gosh, the memories came back after watching this. Used to love showbiz!! Just came across this channel today & subscribed. Love it.🙂

Same era, as a student used to go to a tavern that offered everything - beer, arcade games (table style, Pac-Man, Galaga, Missile Defender, anyone remember Tutankhamen?) and cook-your-own-steaks. We loved that place.

Worked at one when I was 17 or 18 years old. Great time !

Ski Ball and Galaga. Used to play them at Putt Putt! I’ve never even heard of this chain but it’s fascinating.

I am literally addicted to t his channel, you have really hit the mark with this!

Oh my goodness! My son was born in 1982 he loved Showbiz pizza. Wonderful memories.

Our location was Savannah Georgia..it was wonderful., location is still there but like all the rest it was changed into Chuckie Cheese..but CeeLo Green had a Rock A Fire Explosion band trucked from Orlando to Las Vegas to be in part of his show because he, like me, grew up with Fatz and the gang and wanted to remember and pay tribute to them on stage and it was so touching... 🦍🎹💥🎸

OMG, I still have an LP vinyl record of the Rockafire Explosion band that I bought back in the early 80's at the Showbiz Pizza Place in NW OKC. Loved that place back in the day!

In the "next generation" of kids in my family I got to go to the Chuck E. Cheese in San Jose CA for one of my nephew's birthday parties to kind of serve as an additional babysitter for his other toddler friends. It was a pretty fun day.

This was us 80s kids version of Coke vs. Pepsi, at least in my area of Orange County, CA, it was either you were a Chuck E. Cheese kid or a Showbiz Pizza kid.....

My husband and I had our first date at Showbiz Pizza. We have now been married for 36 years and counting.

We remember taking our son to showbiz pizza many times, he just loved it. Thanks for the memories...

I can't remember how many birthday 🎂 parties I attended here in the 80's...what a fun place to spend a birthday with my pals...not to mention leaving half deaf from hours of ear blasting arcade noise..😂

Arlington TX in the early 80’s was the Showbiz I would go to. Good times!!

More good times gone forever so sad.

Yep the good ole days in America when we could actually have something.

My uncle Dennis would take us there every time we visited Dothan. I was VERY afraid of the animatronics. I insisted on the farthest table from them. Proud to say I still have a Showbiz token with my birth year on it.😎

Many memories of Showbiz. It was a pilgrimage to Kansas City every year for my birthday.

Going to Showbiz was a big deal back in the 80s as a kid. That was one birthday party nobody ever skipped when it was at Showbiz! I never really cared for the robot band all that much but the ball pit and the arcade was awesome! Good times!

Used to take my son there until I saw that he was absolutely terrified of that mouse costume. I had to tell that person inside the suite to go away several times. The pizza wasn't that great either! Thanks for he upload!

Had a few birthday parties at Showbiz as a kid. My favorite souvenir was a Rockafire Explosion 45 vinyl record; I probably had 5 or 6 of them. Great memories!

I remember going to the Showbiz off Lincoln Highway just south of Chicago in (approx) '85. My folks just split so it was a weekend my Dad had my brother and I. We also went to Toys R Us (being the first time at both locations for us). You would have thought we died and went to heaven. I swore I was going to take permanent residency in that ball pit as I never wanted to leave again. I have taken my kids to Chuck E Cheese a few times over the years; but it will never capture the same luster in my eyes as Showbiz once did

I loved the strobe light room.

I remember Showbiz Pizza.I didn’t get to go there that often,since it was on the other side of town,it was a treat to go there and play video games & many I couldn’t find on my side of town,especially Star Trek Simulator,Dragons Lair and Star Wars Arcade.

Show biz pizza was a pretty cool place there was one in Colorado in aurora where I lived as a child. I use to play various arcade games.

Man I loved show biz Pizza as a kid... We had one in Knoxville Tennessee.

I live in Wichita Falls Tx. Our showbiz turned into a chi my cheese in the late 80’s early 90’s sometime. I had a few birthdays at showbiz as a kid.

Thank you so much. I took my daughter to both Chuck E Cheese and Showbiz. It was a little kids place and she loved it. The show was good but not the Pizza. I took her there for her birthday many times. At 11 or 12 she did not want to go there any more. My daughter is 41 now and I remember it so well. It was a lot of fun for me, my ex wife and my daughter.

Yea we had one in Tampa area...remember this place well as a kid in the 80s.

I remember going to Showbiz and Chuck E Cheese in the early 80s. My little kid brain was blown away by how big the arcade was! Great memories.

I remember going to showbiz pizza as a kid for birthday parties and playing video games.

One of the first Showbiz Pizza places opened in my city of Overland Park, KS in 1980 (suburb of KC, Mo). It was one of the locations that got changed over to Chuck E. Cheese, which it still is to this day. I never went to Showbiz (I was in high school by the time it appeared), and I have only been in Chuck E. Cheese once (to pick up my daughter after a birthday party).

I grew up in North Georgia where the nearest one was a Shobiz in Chattanooga. We loved that place (the once or twice we actually went). Didn't run into Chuck E. Cheese until decades later (in other states).

Showbiz was better than Chuck E Cheese when I was a kid. I always thought showbiz got bought out by chuck e cheese bc they literally became chuck e cheese.

I almost forgot about Show Biz pizza,thanks for the memories.

Man their pizza was awesome! Great memories.

WOW - Does this bring back the memories ? The Rock - A - Fire Explosion. Oh how I miss SHOWBIZ PIZZA PLACE !!!!! I LOVE this video & I will Forever. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🍕👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I forgot all about Showbiz Pizza Place and I have a vague recollection of visiting one. It must’ve been in the Atlanta area when seeing grandparents for the summers.

I definitely remember this place, with the commercial that had the jingle "Showbiz Pizza: Where A Kid Can Be A Kid" (which later in the 90s became the Chuck E. Cheese jingle).

One of my favorite places as a kid, for the arcade part. The animatronics were just a distraction from the real fun. I believe the location was Paramus or Hackensack NJ.

The guy that created rockfire also created whack a mole .He lost the patient another guy got it. He has a museum in Florida with the first whack a mole .

Aaron wasn't offered to sell Rock-a-fire Explosion, he was asked to given them away for free, with the promise they'd continue using them for years to come. But accourding to Bushnell, they were going to scrap them regardless, so Eckhart made the right decisision.

3:33, That was my local Showbiz and had lots of great times there including a memorable birthday party.

Omg how i miss my youth and days gone by when we wasn’t destroying each other.... what happened?

I'm 36 and only remember going to go Showbiz pizza

SHOWBIZ PIZZA AND ROOT 🍻 BEER !!! BEST COMBO TASTE EVER !!! NOSTALGIA , LIFE WAS BETTER BACK THEN

Memories.☺️my siblings and I spent many birthdays at show biz. But looking at those animatronics through my adult eyes, I'm surprised I didn't go screaming for the exit when I was a child. Those things are uuuggglyyy. Billy Bob's face is going to give me nightmares tonight.

Oh boy Billy Bob I’m a kid from the 80s way before Chuck E. Cheese took over and I want to tell you not only did I love this place I used to climb on stage and try to dance and sing with the characters I was never afraid of them I am a miss Showbiz

Boy it was a awesome place back in the 80's, now its a crying shame....

I miss Showbiz Pizza Place I played 80s arcade games in there for hours!

Took my nieces and nephews here for birthdays. Much nicer than Chuckie Cheese aka baby momma "punch-out palace" .

Man I saw the Chucky Cheese become Show Biz and Chucky Cheese again having birthdays here as a kid 80’s-90’s 😂😂

Those animatronic musicians were nightmare fuel!

I went there only one time as a kid and even though I was super excited to go at the time, I barely have any memories of it. I remember it being very high energy, around Christmas time, and I had to sing in a church Christmas program after the party so my mind wasn't completely on the experience. Some kid came up and messed with the controls of the game I was playing which blew my mind because I had no idea people could be so rude or mean. I don't remember the food but I remember playing video games for sure. Now as an adult, you couldn't get me within a mile of a place like that! It was very loud with lots of screaming kids and super frenetic. Kind of sensory overload for me at the time. :) But those video games ... !

I worked there! It was a lot of fun!

Great video! I don’t think we had a Showbiz Pizza in Fort Myers FL back in the 80’s growing up, but we definitely had Chuck E Cheese! Many great memories there as a teenager. Our youth group at church went there many times. I remember one of the games that you rode on was shaking so much one time, that the token collection box popped open and tokens went everywhere.. great times!

I met Aaron Fechter in 2013 in Orlando FL, where his Creative Engineering warehouse still exists. He looks incredibly young for his age! And he hasn't given up on the RAE. He still has a fully functional show in his warehouse that he's used to make several You Tube videos! I've also had the distinct privilege of getting photos on stage WITH Fatz, Mitzi and Billy Bob! I still pray that the RAE will get their own cartoon show or CGI movie in cinemas! They did it for Disney's Country Bear Jamboree, why not for the RAE too?

Showbiz was a great place .love the pizza I was alittle spooked from the animated talking ,great memories. unfortunately showbiz closed while chunky cheese opened up

I remember going to one, for a friend's birthday party in the 80's and it was better than Chuck E. Cheese's. I'm from Memphis, so that's where it was located. To be honest though, as an adult, those puppets really freak me out now. Especially those wooden faces. Nightmare stuff!

They were last seen in 2014 in Atlanta GA, transported from Orlando FL by Jennifer Brennan #shippingwars

The show was the best part

Showbiz Pizza had "colander night" on Wednesdays, where you got a discount if you came in wearing a decorated colander on your head. I remember threading coloured yarn just to catch the creepy dead-gazed approval of Mitzi Mouse or whatever the cheerleader's name was. I kinda wish there were still jobs writing 'original music' for animatronic pizza restaurant characters... Ahhh, the 80s.

My mom said that when I was little I went up and played on the piano lol and people thought I was really playing it I don't remember that but she said I did lol

I loved showbiz

Does anybody remember the coupons for Showbiz? For my birthday, my mom would get two newspapers and clip coupons that offered something around 50 free tokens if you throw a birthday party there. So she'd split up about 100 tokens for us kids every time we had a party.

The first time I took my kids they were scared to death of the animated characters.

I used to work at Showbiz Pizza Place in Columbus Ohio in 1986-87. Boy do I have a number of stories from that. Showbiz should have bought out Fechter and made him rich but the chain was bleeding money. When they ditched the RAE, it was called Concept Unification. It managed to save money and kept them going but by then they all became Chuck E Cheese.

The Rockafire Explosion appeared in Nashville-based band COIN’s music video.

That pizza was so good. Its not the same anymore

I had my birthday there in 1983 in Matteson Illinois.

For a long time, I never knew that this was an entirely separate entity. I wouldn't remember if it ever was in New York or the Mid-Atlantic, since I wasn't born until 1997.

Hah, attended so many birthday parties here when I was a kid.

When it came to animatronics, Showbiz was the better option, as theirs were very nearly Country-Bear-Jamboree-quality. Chuck E. Cheese's moved like some mid-20th-century department-store display.

My childs father use to go there for his birthday partys as a child 🎈 he was born in 1978