At left, Billy Bob, the ShowBiz Pizza Place mascot and at right, the Beach Ball Bear Swim ball pit, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984 at the Woodhill Circle Plaza pizza and family entertainment restaurant in Lexington, Ky.
Christy Porter
1984 Herald-Leader file photo
When Chuck E. Cheese opened in Lexington more than 40 years ago, there was no giant mouse mascot to greet kids.
That’s because on Dec. 1, 1983, in the Woodhill Circle Plaza at 1555 E. New Circle Road, ShowBiz Pizza Place opened with games, prizes, birthday parties, and an animatronic band led not by a mouse but a bear named Billy Bob.
The new-to-Lexington pizza and entertainment restaurant was a hit with little kids and teenagers. There was a ball pit, skee-ball, air hockey, merry-go-round and more than 70 video games including Popeye, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Tron and Dig Dig.
A month after opening in Lexington, letters were hanging in the restaurant, sent in by kindergarten classes that had visited ShowBiz. The decorated crayon drawings of the characters had hearts that read, “I love you, Billy Bob.”
For the adults, who welcomed letting their kids run wild like it was Christmas morning, there were large screen TVs, many of which were tuned to sports and beer on tap.
Kids eat pizza and drink soda as the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band plays in the background at ShowBiz Pizza Place, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. The mechanical figure band was one of the main attractions of the family pizza and entertainment restaurant, their lifelike appearances attracting big crowds. Onstage, the furry robots entertained by singing favorite pop tunes, with shows every three minutes, nine different shows in all. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Billy Bob, the ShowBiz Pizza Place mascot bear entertains kids during a birthday party Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. The pizza place charged for birthday packages which included Billy Bob coming out and delivering a present, a cake, pizza, soft drinks, game tokens, balloons, party hats, napkins and plates, plus a special birthday show from the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Billy Bob, the ShowBiz Pizza Place mascot greets customers near the entrance of the family pizza and entertainment restaurant, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. In the background is the gift shop where kids could exchange tickets won for prizes. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Billy Bob, the ShowBiz Pizza Place mascot bear entertains kids during, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. There were three main areas of the family pizza restaurant. Shown here was the barnyard, which featured special kiddie rides such as spaceships, airplanes and rockets. Note that the sign on the wall says no smoking in the play area. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Billy Bob, the ShowBiz Pizza Place mascot bear, greets a kid, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at the Woodhill Circle Plaza pizza restaurant in Lexington, Ky. To his left are several beer taps, including Miller Lite and Miller High Life. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
The chain did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the restaurant has closed.
A message posted to the restaurant’s website said, “We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has made this place special: The parents, kids, and friends who filled our center with laughter, birthdays and memories.”
But when the family pizza restaurant opened in Lexington it was a hit. For the kids, the pizza was secondary to the rush to get game tokens bought from nearby machines and then trying to win tickets to be redeemed for ShowBiz souvenirs.
One of the main attractions was Billy Bob and his Rock-afire Explosion band. Pictures taken just over a month after ShowBiz Pizza Place opened show how popular the place was and were an indication that it would last for years.
Steve Guynn, 7, plays in the Beach Ball Bear Swim, a tank filled with soft rubber balls, at ShowBiz Pizza Place, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. Children would insert a token and then play in the ball pit. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
A kid plays with a video game gun in the arcade at ShowBiz Pizza Place, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky. When it opened in December 1983, the family pizza and entertainment restaurant advertised that it had the hottest games like M.A.C.H. 3 and Dragon's Lair. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Skee-ball was popular when ShowBiz Pizza Place, shown here Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky., opened in December 1983. During the first year of business, it ran specials like the “$9.95 Night Out,” which included any large pizza, a pitcher of soft drink and free game tokens. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Among the many games at ShowBiz Pizza Place, shown here Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1984, at Woodhill Circle Plaza in Lexington, Ky., was Whac-A-Mole. A May 25, 1983, story in the Herald-Leader announcing ShowBiz Pizza was coming ended with the line, “ShowBiz is based on the notion that Americans hate to sit and wait.” In 1991, the restaurant was rebranded Chuck E. Cheese, and in 2025, it closed. Christy Porter 1984 Herald-Leader file photo
Brian Simms has been with the Herald-Leader for 20-plus years, most recently reporting and editing coverage of restaurants, bars, food and bourbon. He is also a photographer and manages the newspapers photo archive that dates back to the late 1930s.Support my work with a digital subscription
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