Pizza Playhouse was a Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant and arcade that opened on October 4th, 1983 in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was co-created by IHOP founder Al Lapin Jr. (alongside his son Randy and entrepreneur Michael Lenzini), whose idea was to combine pizza and home video delivery together. While neither idea was new at the time, combining them both in a single establishment was novel. (The video side of the business may not have lasted as long as the rest of it – a 1989 television commercial makes no mention of it.) In addition to food and arcade games, the location also hosted birthday parties (with appearances by Dippy the Dinosaur, its mascot) and performances by local children’s performer Ken “The Great Boudini” Meaux.
It is not currently known when Pizza Playhouse closed down.
References:
1. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-team-march-beacon-pizza-playhouse-op/162927248
2. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-pizza-playhouse/162927796
3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LafayetteMemories/posts/28276541698627230
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6HkSn_GNio
5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LafayetteMemories/posts/35633508026263857
6. https://1079ishot.com/the-great-boudini
