Logo used since 2017
Puppet's Theatrical Pizzaria is an American family entertainment center and pizza chain founded in 1981 by Harry D. Franklin. It emerged to expand video-game arcades beyond adult locations like pool halls to family-friendly venues. Puppet's Theatrical Pizzaria restaurants entertains guests through a large selection of arcade games, amusement rides, ball pits, crawl tubes, musical shows, and animatronic shows in addition to serving pizza and other food items. The chain's name is taken from its main character and mascot, the Puppet (aka the Marionette).
Entertainment[]
Video arcade[]
Since the company's inception, one of the primary draws for the business has been its video arcade offering inside restaurants. Within the arcade, customers can play card-operated video games or redemption games, the latter of which involves games of skill that reward players in the form of tickets based on score. Tickets can be redeemed later for merchandise, such as candy and toys. In late 2020, paper tickets were retired and replaced with electronic tickets, which are stored on the Play Pass cards.
The coin-op games originally accepted brass tokens issued by the company, stamped with various logos and branding that evolved over time. The company experimented with a card access method as a replacement for tokens in the late 2000s, which allowed customers to load credits onto a card that could then be swiped for access at arcade games and refilled later. It was tested under different names, including "Puppet's Super Discount Card" and "Puppet Token Card.". In late 2016, a new card system known as "Puppet's Play Pass" was introduced to replace tokens throughout the chain, utilizing a similar method of gameplay as the Token Card.
Animatronics[]
Another primary draw for the centers since their beginning through the mid-2010s has been their animatronic shows. There have historically been several different styles of animatronic shows in use within the company, details of which would vary depending on when the location opened, whether it was renovated, available room for animatronic stages (named "Puppet's Silly & Fun Band"), and other factors. These animatronics have often been supplemented by costumed characters.
Characters[]
- The Puppet is the titular mascot, a marionette and the band's namesake, who is the lead singer of the band. He is outgoing, friendly, and likes singing and entertaining families, as well as giving out gift boxes to good children.
- Circus Baby is the other lead vocalist, a female clown who is into gaming. She is sometimes shown to have a crush on the Puppet.
- Balloon Boy is the keyboardist, a male human child who has a habit of eating anything, including pizza.
- Candy Cadet is a bassist, a candy-vending robot hailing from England.
- Music Man is a drummer and a multi-legged humanoid, he hails from southern Italy and likes telling jokes.
- Ballora is a ballerina dancer, first introduced in 1984, and later became a main character in 1997 as the band's tambourine player.
Food[]
Pizza is the main focus of the restaurant portion of the business, but the menu features other items as well including cold-cut sandwiches, chicken wings, salad bar access, and desserts. In addition, some Puppet's Theatrical Pizzaria locations offer alcoholic beverages.