Columbia's 3-Stage with South Charleston's Chuck, Helen, and Jasper figures. (September 2020)
was a ShowBiz Pizza Place that opened on June 28, 1983. It was the fourth ShowBiz to open in South Carolina and remains open as a Chuck E. Cheese's. Columbia is a free-standing store located next to an Exxon gas station.
History
Columbia opened its doors on June 28th, 1983. The store was originally franchised, being owned and operated by the McBiz Corporation (along with 29 other locations). Like other ShowBiz locations, the store opened with a
Rock-afire Explosion, placed adjacently on the store's rear wall. In the late 80's, Columbia underwent the
SPT 1988 Remodel Program, phasing out original ShowBiz Pizza Place decor and signage for that of generalized Showbiz Pizza Time assets.
Sometime in 1991, the location received
Concept Unification, retrofitting the Rock-afire into Munch's Make Believe Band, meanwhile keeping the ShowBiz Pizza name until later that same year. On September 16, 1996, Columbia's operating license was acquired by SPT Corporate along with sister locations
South Charleston &
Greenville. Around this time, the store would undergo the
SPT 1992 Remodel Program.
The store received the
'Cool Chuck' Major Remodel Initiative in the late 2000's, with newer booths, posters, and purple walls. Aside from rotating game packages, Columbia would remain in this state throughout the late 2000's into the 2020's decade. In September 2020, the Chuck E, Helen, and Jasper animatronics would be replaced with those from the then-recently closed
Charleston, SC (1610 Sam Rittenburg Blvd) store. On November 1st, 2022, Columbia removed the 3-Stage for the Dance Floor + Video Wall as part of the
CEC 2018 2.0 Remodel Program, becoming the store's most recent overhaul.
Stages
Columbia would premiere with a Classic Rock-afire Explosion, as other ShowBiz locations did at the time. The show would remain largely unchanged until 1991, when
Concept Unification occurred. In November 2022, Columbia removed the 3-Stage for a 2021 Model Dance Floor + Video Wall.
| Stage |
Installed |
Removed |
Notes |
| Rock-afire Explosion |
June 1983 |
1991 |
4th ShowBiz Pizza to open in South Carolina. |
| 3-Stage |
1991 |
November 2, 2022 |
One of 4 ShowBiz locations in South Carolina to receive Concept Unification. |
| Dance Floor + Video Wall |
November 2022 |
Still in use |
2021 Model. |
Animatronics
Videos
| Link |
Description |
Filming Date |
Publish Date |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyrlbjYOFM |
Store tour of the store after reopening during the COVID-19 Pandemic. |
June 8, 2020 |
June 8, 2020 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZo7EJ-7zYk |
A look at the store's animatronics almost a year before removal |
January 22, 2022 |
January 22, 2022 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP76kzSFocc |
Store tour of the store a few months before the 2.0 Remodel |
May 2022 |
May 16, 2022 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmtvhaepU6c |
'Down the Road' from Chuck E. Cheese Summer of Fun 2022 Show being performed on Columbia's 3-Stage. |
June 2022 |
June 11, 2022 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ttL7bpW6lQ |
'Out of This World' from Show 5 2016 being performed on Columbia's 3-Stage. |
June 2022 |
June 25, 2022 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KSBhTb0TT8 |
'Join the Party' from Chuck E. Cheese Summer of Fun 2022 Show being performed on Columbia's 3-Stage. |
June 2022 |
November 1, 2022 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdKm7QAroQw |
Store tour of the store after the 2.0 Remodel |
January 7, 2023 |
January 9, 2023 |
