Amherst, NY (1551 Niagara Falls Blvd)
| Source metadata | |
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_-_The_Rock-afire_Explosion_performing_at_Amherst,_NY_(1551_Niagara_Falls_Blvd)_-_1984.avif)
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| Type | Locations |
| Dates | 1983-03-15 – 1988 |
| Coordinates | 42.9970045, -78.8213181 |
| Tags | ShowBiz Pizza Place, Classic Stage, Major Magic's All-Star Pizza Revue |
| Contributors | ThatRockHistorian76 |
Amherst, NY (1551 Niagara Falls Blvd) was a Showbiz Pizza Place located within Plaza North (later Burlington Plaza and currently The Boulevard - South District) that opened on March 15, 1983, with a Classic Stage, and closed in either January or February 1988. The store reopened as a Major Magic's All-Star Pizza Revue in 1988 and closed by the mid-1990s.
History
Pre-Showbiz
Plaza North was constructed in 1967, and its original tenants included Plaza North Theatre and the discount department store Twin Fair.
Showbiz Pizza Place
The Amherst Showbiz Pizza Place opened on March 15, 1983, as the first of two SPPs in New York, preceding West Seneca, NY (3525 Seneca St). The store was franchised by Lawrence, Kansas-based Family Restaurant Concepts, Inc., and at the time of its opening employed 90 full-time and part-time employees and contained 70 games and rides alongside a wide-screen TV [1]. The Rock-afire Explosion bots used at Amherst were produced in July 1982 and were from the 23rd batch of that month. Amherst had a rope in front of the stage.
Around March 1985, the Amherst store received the talking Billy Bob program. [2]
Due to their greater popularity and profits, both Showbiz stores outcompeted the Cheektowaga, NY (Thruway Mall) Pizza Time Theatre. After the PTT closed on July 29, 1985, the stores allowed former Chuck E. Cheese's customers to exchange their tokens for Showbiz tokens [3].
In December 1985, the Amherst Showbiz, along with the West Seneca Showbiz, hosted the Santa Klunk On Stage Show 1985 (Event). The two New York stores are the only ones known to have hosted this event, and it is unknown if this was a continuation of Santa On Stage 1984 (Event) or a custom event for the two locations. [4]
In either January or February of 1988, both the Amherst and West Seneca Showbiz stores were shuttered.
Major Magic's All-Star Pizza Revue
Starting around late February 1988, hiring began for the future Major Magic's restaurants that would replace both of the former Showbiz locations. [5] Sometime after this, the new restaurants would open. Like most other Major Magic's, both stores housed the Rock 'n Roll Rebellion. [6] Though the exact year is unknown, both stores closed in the mid-1990's.
Fate of the Animatronics
The fate and whereabouts of the Rock-afire Explosion and the Rock 'n Roll Rebellion are currently unknown.
Future Occupants and Demolition of the Site
After the Amherst Major Magic's closed, the Burlington Coat Factory next door expanded into the space and removed the old Showbiz entrance. Additionally, the plaza was renamed Burlington Plaza. The Burlington store closed in early 2022, and shortly after, as part of a $7 million refresh and redevelopment, around 90,000 to 100,000 square feet of the plaza was torn down, including the area that once housed Showbiz, and a T.J. Maxx was built directly on top of the site. The new plaza was renamed The Boulevard - South District, and remains like this today.
Remodels & initiatives
| Name | Start | End | Serial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPP Standard Layout | 1983-03-15 |
Stages
| Name | Start | End | Serial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Stage | 1983-03-15 | 1988 |
Franchisees
| Name | Start | End | Serial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Restaurant Concepts, Inc. | 1983-03-15 |
Animatronics
| Name | Start | End | Serial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolfe Dewolfe & Earl Schmerle (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 1-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Dook Larue (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 2-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Fatz Geronimo (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 3-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Beach Bear (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 4-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Mitzi Mozzarella (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 5-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Billy Bob (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 6-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Looney Bird (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 7-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Choo Choo (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 8-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Sun (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 10-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Moon (Animatronic) | 1983-03-15 | 1988 | 7-82 11-23 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
| Uncle Klunk (Animatronic) | 1985 | Current whereabouts unknown. |
References
Import provenance
Imported from Cheese-E-Pedia at source revision 274f085c7132d784f81b7a4cbd96e7a0922db854. Source material is provided under CC BY-SA 4.0.