Sharonville, OH (1429 E Kemper Rd) #738 originally opened up on October 21, 1981, as a ShowBiz Pizza Place and then closed its doors on January 8, 1984. The store would then re-open on September 8, 1992, as a Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza, still open to this day now as a Chuck E. Cheese.
Detailed History
On June 18, 1981 ‘The Sharonville City Council gave final approval Thursday to an ordinance that will Showbiz Pizza to apply for $1.35 million in Ohio industrial revenue bonds for land, equipment and construction of a 10,000 squre-foot building at 1330 E. Kemper Road”. Construction would soon begin on the property with the ShowBiz Pizza Place opening up on October 21, 1981, as the 1st ShowBiz Pizza in Ohio. The store featured The Rock-afire Explosion Classic Stage, New Games, Oven-Fresh Pizza, Sandwiches, Salad Bar, and more. In 1982, to support the Bengals getting into Super Bowl XVI, ShowBiz Pizza ran a promotion at Sharonville, OH, and Cincinnati, OH (8801 Colerain Ave). The event would happen January 24th, in which you’d watch the event on a ‘Wide Screen TV’ and also bring in cans of soup in return for “Four Free Game Tokens and the soup goes to charity”. In 1983 as part of The Amazing Uncle Klunk Traveling Show (Event) they would receive Uncle Klunk. They would also retain Klunk, retrofitting him into Santa as part of Santa On Stage Show 1983 (Event). On January 8, 1984, the ShowBiz Pizza Place would close as “part of a series of 40 closings and sales designed to trim operations in ‘over-saturated’ markets”. The Rock-afire Explosion would be sent back to Creative Engineering, Inc. to be re-used for the Miami, FL store (19191-A S Dixie Hwy).
In 1985, a nightclub named Sneaker’s (also known as Sneaker’s Nite Club) opened up inside the former ShowBiz Pizza Place. In 1987, ‘Sneakers of Cincinnati’ would close due to failing to pay rent. The property would sit vacant until January 1991 when the property would be put up for sale being advertised as ‘TRI-COUNTY 1429 E. Kemper, formerly Sneakers Nite Club, 10,000+ S.F. on 1.66 acres, F.F. & E. included Excellent retail opportunity in heart of Tri-County’. later that year in August 1991 ‘ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc’ would purchase the property for $675,000.
On September 8, 1992, the Sharonville, OH, Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza would open. The store was one of the first to receive SPT 1990’s Remodel Program. The store also featured the 2-Stage. It would retain the layout of the ShowBiz Pizza Place, with minor changes done by Sneakers of Cincinnati, such as installing a walkway into the kitchen on the left of what was originally the Salad Bar.
