Topeka, KS (1301 SW Gage Blvd)
Bob Brock and the Billy Bob mascot character outside of the Topeka Showbiz Pizza.
Topeka, KS (1301 SW Gage Blvd) was a Showbiz Pizza Place that opened on December 1st, 1980, and closed between 1985 and 1986.
The location opened as a franchise, likely under the ownership of Topeka Inn Management, but was later acquired by SPP on February 25, 1985.
Stage
The store originally had the sixth Rock-Afire Explosion installed. This location's animatronic characters most notably had completely hollow aluminum skeletons.
After the closure, the animatronics were sold off in an auction and later bought by Creative Engineering, allegedly even writing SPT a letter in the process.
History
Topeka, KS opened its doors on December 1st, 1980, as the Second store in Kansas. This was one of 18/19 stores to receive the in-development (Beta) variant of the Rock-Afire Explosion show. Outside of the show, a majority of the location is undocumented.
In 1984 this Showbiz Pizza, among others, received a "Noteworthy" rating on their second quarter (1984) quality assurance evaluations.[1]
It is also worth noting that the Billy Bob hot air balloon may have visited this Showbiz during its heyday.[2]
Between the years of 1985 and 1986, this Showbiz Pizza permanently closed and the building would be occupied by several different businesses over the years, the last of which being Sun Resorts Tanning and Fitness[3].
The building was demolished between April and June 2020, and replaced by an Amoco Gas Station and Max's restaurant, and remains this way as of yet.[4]
Gallery
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Exterior (October 2012)
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Exterior (June 27, 2019)
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Flyer for the Topeka SPP.
Animatronics
| Animatronic | Serial Number | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|
| Rolfe DeWolfe | 7-80 1-6 | Unknown |
| Dook Larue | 7-80 2-6 | Unknown |
| Fatz Geronimo | 7-80 3-6 | In Storage |
| Beach Bear | 7-80 4-6 | Unknown |
| Mitzi Mozzarella | 7-80 5-6 | Owned by Sully.[5] |
| Billy Bob | 7-80 6-6 | Unknown |
| Looney Bird | 7-80 7-6 | In Storage |
| Choo Choo | 7-80 8-6 | Unknown |
| Sun | 7-80 10-6 | Unknown |
| Moon | 7-80 11-6 | Unknown |
| Antioch | N/A | Unknown |
