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Article is based on Chuck E. Cheese, ShowBiz Pizza Place and inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's. This is not a real article, duh.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza
IndustryFamily restaurant, fast food
PredecessorFredbear's Family Diner (1978-1983)
FoundedNovember 1, 1978
Hurricane, Utah, U.S.
Founder
DefunctDecember 30, 1992
FateClosed per company's reorganization plan
Headquarters
Hurricane, Utah
ProductsPizza
ParentFazbear Entertainment Inc.
Websitewww.fazbearentertainment.com

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza (formerly known as Fredbear's Family Diner), often shortened to Freddy's, was an American family entertainment center and pizza restaurant chain that operated in that state of Utah. Founded in 1978 by William Afton and Henry Emily, each location featured arcade games, amusement rides, and animatronic shows in addition to serving food items, primarily pizza. The chain's name was taken from its main character and mascot, Freddy Fazbear. The first location opened as Fredbear's Family Diner in Hurricane, Utah. It was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animatronic entertainment.

The original restaurant closed in 1983 after the acquisition of the parent company, Fazbear Entertainment Inc., by the Hall Siblings in 1984 and was rebranded to its current name. At its peak in February 1985, Fazbear Entertainment owned four Freddy Fazbear's Pizza venues in various cities. The chain saw a continuous decline in popularity after various incidents occurring at the venues, most severely the 1985 missing children incident. Another failed rebranding attempt in 1989 resulted in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 1992 with its final location closing on December 30, 1992.

Following the closure of the restaurants, Fazbear Entertainment Inc. continued limited operations. Over the past few years, the company has filed multiple lawsuits against individuals and journalists online who attempted to investigate the company and its restaurants.

History

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The idea of a pizza restaurant with animatronic entertainment was conceived by William Afton during his final year at Dixie State University in 1968 when "it just popped into my head during a lab session, and I could not get it out".[1] At the age of 22,[2] Afton moved to Hurricane and began working on his passion project when he met and befriended Henry Emily, a mechanical engineer graduate from the University of Utah.[3] The two friends worked together for almost a decade to invent, design, and build animatronic parts for the restaurant.[1] The result was the first model series of animatronic entertainers called "the Springlock models", the name of which was taken from the primary mechanic of the suit, called "springlocks".[4] From this model, two characters, Fredbear and Spring Bonnie, were created with the former being used as the restaurant's main mascot.[4] After the finalization of the animatronics, Afton and Emily founded Fazbear Entertainment Inc. in January 1978, and the restaurant was set to open later that year.[5]

The first restaurant

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A promotional picture before the opening of Fredbear's Family Diner

The first and only Fredbear's Family Diner opened on November 1, 1978.[2][6] The restaurant's venue was relatively small compared to other family restaurants in the area, having the capacity of only 40 people. Despite this, the unique animatronic entertainment shows, the ability to play arcade games for free, and it being one of the first family entertainment centers, were reasons that attracted many from the very beginning.[6] The restaurant became an iconic attraction for the city, and its animatronic characters were well known across Washington County. The increased popularity led to the creation of the Fredbear & Friends cartoon series that aired on KUTV in 1981.[7] Requests that more locations be opened in nearby St. George, La Verkin, and Santa Clara started to accumulate, but Emily, in disagreement with Afton, refused, stating that they did not have the capability to do so.[7] At its peak in 1982, the restaurant and its company reportedly made more than $500,000 monthly.[8]

Starting in 1982, the restaurant saw a decline in service quality. Complaints about unhygienic dining and kitchen areas were frequent, but the company took no action until an E. coli outbreak occurred that hospitalized five in July 1983.[9] Safety concerns arose when it was discovered that no background checks were performed during the company's hiring process.[10] The disappearance of Henry Emily's daughter in December 1982 and Emily himself in March 1983 also contributed to the decrease in revenue.[10] Animatronic malfunction was also common in the final year of operation which ultimately led to the death of Afton's 5-year-old son Evan on December 14, 1983.[10] The company decided to shut down the restaurant after the incident.[11]

Acquisition and rebranding

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On January 1, 1984, Stanley and Emmie Hall (collectively known as the Hall Siblings of Salt Lake City, or the Hall Siblings) reached an agreement with Afton for the purchase of Fazbear Entertainment Inc. for $350,000. The purchase included "the copyright and trademark of the company's characters, patent rights, and other assets".[5] The transfer officially took place in February and saw Afton step down and be replaced by the Halls, though behind-the-scenes work has already begun since the deal. In the following years, Afton opened more animatronic-providing services but ultimately failed. The rebranding process happened in an unexpectedly short amount of time, having been completed in five months. In an autobiography released later in his life, Stanley Hall revealed that the process was just "us figuring out what William and Henry had made, copying it, and expanding it.[12]

In May 1984, the restaurant, now renamed Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, reopened in Hurricane. The restaurant's venue significantly expanded, and the roster of animatronic characters was expanded to seven. The rebranding was received overwhelmingly well by customers, with sales quickly increasing tenfold the following month.[3]

Regional success and decline

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Expansion and peak success

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The success of the rebranding led to the decision to expand the franchise and open more locations in Utah. In June 1984, the second location opened in St. George, followed by a Salt Lake City location the following month.[3][9] The fourth and final location opened in Provo on February 3, 1985.[3] Freddy Fazbear's Pizza quickly became a cultural phenomenon in Utah, and the restaurants would find themselves completely booked weeks in advance.[citation needed] The popularity was also evident by the reports of more than $10 million in profit by the end of 1984.[11][unreliable source?] Its popularity extended beyond restaurants, with merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, and toys being constantly sold out throughout the state and its animatronic characters known around the country.[citation needed] In May 1985, the company reportedly had plans to open more locations in Utah and its first out-of-state location in Sacramento, California and nearby states.[6]

1985 missing children incident

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Main article: 1985 Hurricane missing children incident

On June 2, 1985, during the early birthday parties held at the Hurricane location, Cassidy Franklin, Friedrich Warren, Gabriel Beringer, Jeremy Firmin and Susanne Attaway went missing in the span of an hour.[13] Police were called and witnesses reported saw a man wearing a suit that resembled the animatronic characters leading one of the children to an unknown location. According to Beringer's mother, the last time she saw her son was him asking permission to get a prize from the employee.[14] The statement and other witness accounts led police to believe that it was a former or current member of staff being the perpetrator. Immediately following the initial questionings, Hurricane Police started a ten-day search party around the area, extending to La Verkin but ultimately yielded no results. A former employee, Rhys Williamson, was arrested two days after the incident but was released due to insufficient evidence.[14] No other suspects were arrested, and the children were never found and were presumed dead.[15]

The incident made local and national headlines with many news channels providing continuous coverage. Stanley Hall gave an interview live on KTVX on the day of the incident and followed with a press release expressing condolences to the victim's families and vowed to improve security measures.[12][15] Despite the incident, the three other locations remained opened to negative reactions which lead to a significant decrease in sales as concerned customers cancelled parties. The Hurricane location itself was closed for only three months and reopened to similar reactions.[16]

Decline and second rebranding

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The 1985 incident had a significant impact on the restaurant's reputation. Six months after the incident, Fazbear Entertainment launched a campaign called You Can Trust Freddy! that featured extensive advertisements on billboards, newspapers, and television across the state of Utah. The campaign focused on transparency and security, with the company demonstrating the previously announced facial recognition features for the press and opening tours for children to explain how the animatronics work. The company also took steps to improve security measures by allowing customers to interact with security personnel in each of the restaurant's venues.[10][17][18]

Despite the campaign, sales continued to decline, with the company's year-end earnings dropping by 52% from 1985 to 1987.[6] The decrease in profits along with the expenses from the campaign affected the quality of the restaurant as hygiene and food complaints were rampant.[1] The problems eventually resulted in the closure of the St. George location in April 1987 due to health code violations.[10] On November 8, 1987, an accident known as the November 7th Animatronic Failure Incident (commonly referred to as The Bite of '87) occurred at the Salt Lake City location when a customer suffered a severe head injury from the mechanical failure of an animatronic.[17] The company's unwillingness to take responsibility and victim blaming further damaged its reputation and led to another drop in earnings.[18]

In April 1988, the company announced the closure of the three remaining locations in preparation for another rebranding.[18] On September 24, 1989, the Hurricane location was reopened featuring a smaller cast of animatronic characters and a smaller restaurant venue.[19] The location would eventually be the only venue to open after the second rebranding.

The final days

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Disappointing sales

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Despite the rebranding, the company's sales and reputation remained at an all-time low, and its former status as a potential national chain has been reduced to that of a local restaurant. By 1991, the company reported less than $75,000 in revenue per month, which continued to drop.[18] During this period, the company continuously aired television advertisements and produced a short-lived animated series called Freddy & Friends: On Tour! but failed to attract customers.[19]

1992 missing children incident

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Main article: 1992 Hurricane missing children incident

On June 26, 1992, William Farnham, Dorothy Ansel, Dalton Garrard, Ivan Lawrence, and Monroe Keen disappeared after attending a late birthday party at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.[20] In a similar fashion to the 1985 incident, witnesses reported seeing a mascot character similar to the animatronic characters of the restaurant talking to the missing children and later leading them to the location's backroom.[21] A police investigation found out that the camera surveillance system at the location was mysteriously disabled at 8 p.m. on that day, raising suspicion about the involvement of staff personnel. Following the incident, a search party involving more than 30 people was conducted.[22] No suspects were arrested, and the children were never found and were presumed dead.

The day following the incident, the families of the children who disappeared in the 1985 incident held a protest, demanding that the restaurant's parent company, Fazbear Entertainment, be investigated and closed down.[23] The company, in turn, criticized the protest, describing it as a "revolting act that takes advantage of the situation."[24] Two days later, the company released a press release confirming the incident and providing information on the mascot suit used during the incident.[25] However, the company did not take any responsibility for the disappearance of the children. The incident sparked public outrage, and the company faced severe criticism for its lack of accountability and transparency.[26]

This incident, along with the 1985 incident, were commonly listed by many[who?] as one of the most tragic and unsolved case in Utah.

Bankruptcy filing and closure

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The 1992 missing children incident dealt a significant blow to the company's chances of survival. Sales and party booking numbers immediately suffered, with a reported monthly revenue of less than $5,000.[27] The incident also led to the collapse of ongoing negotiations with an undisclosed food corporation regarding a potential buyout.[28] As a result, on September 9, 1992, the company announced in a press release that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and that the restaurant would be closed on December 30, 1992. In the same release, the company hinted at the possibility of the return of the animatronic characters, presumably in other media.[29]

The company experienced a surge in sales following the announcement of the closure, with the restaurant fully booked for the first time in years in its final week of operation.[30] During this period, the restaurant held many community events in Hurricane, which somewhat restored its reputation.[citation needed] On the night of December 30, 1992, the restaurant finished its final birthday party and closed its doors.

Current operation

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Following the closure and the completion of its reorganization plans, Fazbear Entertainment Inc. emerged from bankruptcy in the mid-1990s and continued to operate in a very limited way.[31] The company's current operation is not publicly disclosed, but it was reported that the company has been suing individuals who attempted to investigate its past. One notable lawsuit was against Jonathan Andrewson (also known online as "AniNerd"), a moderator of a small online forum dedicated to the company and its restaurants called Fazbear Messageboard. Andrewson was sued in 2004 for allowing members of the forum to share supposedly classified documents about the company. The case was settled out of court, with Andrewson agreeing to shut down the forum.[32]

Entertainment

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Animatronic characters

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Animatronic characters performing at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza featured a technologically advanced cast of animatronic characters. A typical birthday party would involve the characters singing public domain or licensed songs using hired singers and an "interaction session" with customers where the characters would answer questions from customers using voices from staff members.[33] Prior to the 1987 accident, the animatronics were allowed to freely roam the restaurant's venue. However, after the accident, the characters were programmed to not move around and remain on stage.[34] The characters were built around endoskeletons, which are similar to biological skeletons. This allowed for parts of the outer body to be replaced, and a single endoskeleton can be used for multiple characters, allowing for cost-effective maintenance and customization.[35][36] Following the 1985 missing children incident, facial recognition features were added to the animatronics as a security measure. They were also connected to police databases to help identify potential threats.[37]

In 1979, William Afton and Henry Emily created the "Springlock" suits, which were hybrid suits that could be worn by staff members as well as act as animatronics by replacing the inner endoskeletons.[9] However, the Springlock suits would often malfunction, causing injury to the wearer (usually Afton and Emily but sometimes trained staff members), and were decommissioned in 1983.[10] The suits were not completely scrapped and were potentially used by the suspects in the 1985 and 1992 missing children incidents.

Character cast evolution

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The original animatronic characters introduced in 1978 were Fredbear and Spring Bonnie. Fredbear was a yellow bear with a microphone, wearing a purple top hat and bow tie, while Spring Bonnie was a yellow bunny playing a banjo and wearing a purple bow tie.[38]

From after the first rebranding in 1984 to 1988, the animatronic cast featured Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy (commonly referred to as The Mangle), Balloon Boy, The Puppet, and JJ. Freddy was a brown bear who sang into a microphone and wore a black bow tie. Bonnie was a bright blue bunny playing an electric guitar and wearing a red bow tie. Chica was a yellow chicken with a "Let's Party!" bib, holding a plate of a cartoon cupcake, and donning slightly attractive clothing. Foxy was originally a white-pink fox with red cheeks and a red bow tie, which gradually transformed into what was commonly called The Mangle after years of disassembly by customers. The Mangle was the animatronic that caused the 1987 accident. Balloon Boy and JJ were cartoon human boys and girls holding a balloon with a sign reading "Balloons!" Lastly, the puppet was a slim black-and-white marionette. Fans and followers of the company eventually called these characters the Toy animatronics.[38]

After the second rebranding in 1989, the animatronic cast was changed once again. The redesigned animatronics included redesigned versions of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. The new designs removed the red cheeks of the characters and gave them a more desaturated color scheme. The redesigned Foxy became a pirate red fox that would eventually go out of business in the final months of the restaurant's operation.[2][38]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Afton, William. (1978). "Creating Fredbear and Spring Bonnie." Mechanical Engineering Today. Retrieved June 15, 2008, from https://www.mechanicalengineeringtoday.com/creating-fredbear-and-spring-bonnie/
  2. ^ a b c Emily, Henry. (1982). "The Success and Decline of Fredbear's Family Diner." American Restaurant Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from https://www.americanrestaurantjournal.com/the-success-and-decline-of-fredbears-family-diner/
  3. ^ a b c d Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1984). "Rebranding for Success." Business Weekly. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from https://www.businessweekly.com/rebranding-for-success/
  4. ^ a b Johnson, R. (2002). "The Mysterious Disappearance of Charlotte Emily." The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from https://www.sltrib.com/news/2002/03/18/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-charlotte-emily/
  5. ^ a b Peterson, S. (1985). "Five Children Missing at Hurricane Location of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The Spectrum. Retrieved June 3, 1985, from https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/2018/06/25/freddy-fazbears-pizza-five-children-missing-in-hurricane/36276661/
  6. ^ a b c d Hawkins, M. (1987). "The Bite of '87: Fact or Fiction?" The Deseret News. Retrieved November 10, 1987, from https://www.deseret.com/1987/11/10/20094757/the-bite-of-87-fact-or-fiction
  7. ^ a b Richards, J. (1989). "Freddy's Back: Smaller, Sleeker, Scarier." The Daily Herald. Retrieved September 25, 1989, from https://www.heraldextra.com/news/business/freddy-s-back-smaller-sleeker-scarier/article_6b8f6b79-2598-5f9d-9e4a-4db6d8e0e5c6.html
  8. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1990). "A New Era of Fun and Games." Game Informer. Retrieved December 19, 1990, from https://www.gameinformer.com/a-new-era-of-fun-and-games
  9. ^ a b c Miller, B. (1992). "Another Five Children Missing at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved June 27, 1992, from https://www.sltrib.com/news/1992/06/27/another-five-children-missing-at-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  10. ^ a b c d e f Martinez, G. (2006). "The Fazbear Entertainment Conspiracy." Independent Journalism Review. Retrieved October 14, 2006, from https://www.independentjournalismreview.com/the-fazbear-entertainment-conspiracy/
  11. ^ a b "Main Page", Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2022-09-02, retrieved 2022-09-07
  12. ^ a b Hall, Stanley. (1995). "My Life in the Restaurant Business." Penguin Publishing. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from https://www.penguinpublishing.com/my-life-in-the-restaurant-business/
  13. ^ Kim, D. (2007). "10 Years After the Closure: Looking Back on Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." Retro Gamer. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from https://www.retrogamer.net/10-years-after-the-closure-looking-back-on-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  14. ^ a b Kim, D. (2008). "The Haunting of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." National Paranormal Society. Retrieved October 22, 2008, from https://www.nationalparanormalsociety.org/the-haunting-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  15. ^ a b Thompson, L. (2010). "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza: A Cultural Phenomenon." The Atlantic. Retrieved August 15, 2010, from https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/08/freddy-fazbears-pizza-a-cultural-phenomenon/61006/
  16. ^ Crompton, Elizabeth. (1981). "The Importance of Kids' Entertainment." Children's Entertainment Monthly. Retrieved March 3, 1981, from https://www.childrensentertainmentmonthly.com/the-importance-of-kids-entertainment/
  17. ^ a b Davis, C. (1991). "The Making of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza: An Insider's Story." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 1991, from https://www.ew.com/article/1991/06/15/making-freddy-fazbears-pizza-insiders-story
  18. ^ a b c d Hall, Emmie. (1987). "The Fazbear Entertainment Philosophy." Harvard Business Review. Retrieved October 1, 1984, from https://hbr.org/1987/10/the-fazbear-entertainment-philosophy
  19. ^ a b Emily, Sammy. (1979). "Behind the Scenes at Fredbear's Family Diner." Industry Insider. Retrieved November 20, 1979, from https://www.industryinsider.com/behind-the-scenes-at-fredbears-family-diner/
  20. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1995). "Limited Operations and the Future of Fazbear Entertainment." Company Report. Retrieved April 1, 1995, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/company-report-limited-operations-and-the-future-of-fazbear-entertainment/
  21. ^ Smith, J. (1998). "Fazbear Entertainment: A Legacy of Horror." Fangoria. Retrieved October 31, 1998, from https://fangoria.com/fazbear-entertainment-a-legacy-of-horror/
  22. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (2002). "Fazbear Entertainment Sues Investigative Journalists." Press Release. Retrieved May 15, 2002, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/press-release-fazbear-entertainment-sues-investigative-journalists/
  23. ^ Lee, K. (1987). "The Science Behind Animatronics." Popular Science. Retrieved September 5, 1987, from https://www.popsci.com/the-science-behind-animatronics/
  24. ^ Amber, H. (1997). "The Future of Gaming." GamePro. Retrieved January 1, 1997, from https://www.gamepro.com/the-future-of-gaming/
  25. ^ Jackson, B. (2004). "The Legend of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The Unexplained Files. Retrieved October 31, 2004, from https://www.theunexplainedfiles.com/the-legend-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  26. ^ Johnson, Matilda. (1979). "The Role of Gender in Children's Entertainment." Feminist Quarterly. Retrieved December 1, 1979, from https://www.feministquarterly.com/the-role-of-gender-in-childrens-entertainment/
  27. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1985). "The Merchandising of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." Advertising Age. Retrieved November 1, 1985, from https://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/freddy-fazbears-pizza/98684
  28. ^ Williams, B. (1994). "The Psychology of Fear." Psychology Today. Retrieved October 1, 1994, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199410/the-psychology-fear
  29. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (2007). "The History of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." Company Website. Retrieved January 1, 2007, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/the-history-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  30. ^ Kim, J. (2009). "The Mystery of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The Paranormal Investigator. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from https://www.theparanormalinvestigator.com/the-mystery-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  31. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1983). "Fazbear Entertainment Announces New Animatronic Characters." Press Release. Retrieved April 1, 1983, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/press-release-fazbear-entertainment-announces-new-animatronic-characters/
  32. ^ Thompson, M. (2008). "The Legacy of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 1, 2008, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-legacy-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza-180289028/
  33. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1992). "Fazbear Entertainment Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy." Press Release. Retrieved September 9, 1992, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/press-release-fazbear-entertainment-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/
  34. ^ Rodriguez, C. (2005). "The Urban Legend of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The Horror Chronicle. Retrieved October 31, 2005, from https://www.thehorrorchronicle.com/the-urban-legend-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/
  35. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1983). "Fazbear Entertainment Challenges the Legend." Press Release. Retrieved May 15, 1983, from https://www.fazbearsentertainment.com/press-release-fazbear-entertainment-challenges-the-legend/
  36. ^ Nguyen, M. (2009). "The Fazbear Entertainment Phenomenon." Wired. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from https://www.wired.com/the-fazbear-entertainment-phenomenon/
  37. ^ Fazbear Entertainment Inc. (1992). "The Future of Entertainment." Wired. Retrieved November 1, 1992, from https://www.wired.com/the-future-of-entertainment/
  38. ^ a b c Hernandez, L. (2006). "The Curse of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The X-Files Report. Retrieved October 31, 2006, from https://www.thexfilesreport.com/the-curse-of-freddy-fazbears-pizza/

Thanks, ChatGPT.

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