Funtime Pizza Circus - Hackensack, NJ

Funtime Pizza Circus was a former ShowBiz Pizza Place turned Family Entertainment Center located in Hackensack, NJ. Converting to an independent center in 1988, it was one of the earliest non-ShowBiz stores to operating using the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic show.

History / Background

Funtime Pizza Circus opened on April 12th of 1983 in Hackensack, New Jersey, as a ShowBiz Pizza Place. When it opened, it was said to be the first of 60 new ShowBiz Pizza Places to open up in the Northeast. It was franchised by Beefsteak Charlie’s Inc., a steakhouse company that decided to franchise ShowBiz in the northeast and would be operating the 60 locations. They wanted to diversify and have restaurants that served more than just steak,and were impressed by the success and profit margins of Pizza Time Theatre. However, coming into the market in 1983 was not a good plan, as sales had already started to decline and interest in video games was waning. The officials even seemed to be aware of these risks, addressing them in an interview right before the restaurant opened, and quoting what a New York analyst had to say. “My hunch is there’s going to be trouble for the industry in the next few years...they’re vulnerable to recession and increasing competition. They may do better in 1983, but it’s no fun trying to make your living with something people are trying to outlaw”. Due to these doubts, Beefsteak Charlie’s scaled back their original lofty plan to open 103 ShowBiz Pizza’s to just 60, starting with Hackensack.

The ShowBiz in Hackensack went on to operate for several years, running several of the typical promotions such as Billy Bob’s Birthday and hosting the Statute of Liberty. They were open until at least 1986, but sometime between then and 1988 lost the license or sold the business altogether. Beefsteak Charlie’s never ended up opening anywhere close to all 60 proposed Showbiz locations, and the restaurant in Hackensack went on to rebrand as “Funtime Pizza Circus”. The first mention of the restaurant by that name is in 1988, quite early compared to the other entertainment centers that primarily bought their Rock-afire Explosion shows direct from Creative Engineering in the 1990s.

The location remained mostly the same as when it was a ShowBiz, offering the same games and rides found at the restaurant from before the conversion. The animatronic show was modified though, to fit the new “circus” theme. Billy Bob and Looney Bird’s stage had a circus tent backdrop (with Looney’s barrel repainted in red and yellow) and on the main stage Fatz’s Tune Machine and the Rock-afire Explosion sign had custom decals with the restaurant’s new name. Rolfe and Earl's stage still had Uncle Klunk's cukoo clock installed in footage taken in 1989. On the showroom walls, murals were painted of the characters seemingly portraying them in a circus theme. The characters were still advertised by name despite the location no longer being a ShowBiz, with kids even being known to call the restaurant and talk to Billy Bob.

Unfortunately in March of 1994, BMR Entertainment, the current owners of Funtime Pizza Circus, filed the business for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. During the financial restructuring, the business continued to operate into 1995, but was unable to hang on. The last known mention of Funtime Pizza Circus being open was in September of 1995.

Information & Details

Funtime Pizza Circus
450 Hackensack Ave
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Fate of the show: Unknown