Thirteen locations were sold to CEC Entertainment, Inc., owner of Chuck E. This time with the abrupt closure half of their locations on June 30, that same year and being unable to alert those with reserved parties. In April 1999 Discovery Zone re-entered bankruptcy. They emerged a year later on July 30, under the private ownership of Wellspring Associates LLC. Stretched thin by expansion, changes in management tried to save the company however, Discovery Zone filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 26, 1996, in Wilmington, Delaware, with debts of up to $366.8 million. The new complexes would have included dining, drinking, mini golf and VR games in addition to the indoor playground equipment that Discovery Zone is known for. Discovery Zone had also planned a new family entertainment center to compete against Dave & Buster’s, which was dubbed “Metro Zone”.
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By the time Viacom took control of Discovery Zone, the company signed a deal with Saban Entertainment to include characters from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series at the play centers. Viacom had plans to cross market Discovery Zone with its other businesses, such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and Showtime. īlockbuster Video, then a subsidiary of Viacom, took total management control of Discovery Zone in April 1995. At the same time, Blockbuster bought more shares of Discovery Zone giving it 50.1% of the stock. Under the leadership of then CEO Don Flynn, in July 1994, Discovery Zone bought 45 Leaps and Bounds stores from McDonald's for $111 million in stock and 57 franchised stores from Blockbuster Video for $91 million in stock bringing the total stores to almost 300. Discovery Zone filed for bankruptcy shortly after.
He told numerous college students at the 1995 annual meeting how "solid" an investment this would be. Sumner Redstone managed to shift the assets to Blockbuster and move operations to Chicago. In 1994, Discovery Zone merged its operations with Blockbuster Video and its (now former) parent Viacom. ĭiscovery Zone completed a successful IPO in June 1993 (led by Chris Bellios, Sam Jeremenko and Steven Noe) raising over $50 million. The stock rose 61% in the first day of trading. In June 1993, Discovery Zone raised $55 million more when it went public on NASDAQ.
In April 1993, Blockbuster Video invested $10.3 million into Discovery Zone to purchase 21% of the company. A second location was added in Florence, Kentucky, at the Florence Mall on July 23, 2021.įounded in 1989, Discovery Zone grew quickly, opening 15 stores in 18 months. In 2020, a new center using the Discovery Zone name opened in the Cincinnati suburb of Union Township, Ohio it is not affiliated with the original company, but is heavily inspired by it.
ĭiscovery Zone was also notable for being the first corporate sponsor of the PBS children’s program Sesame Street. An early investor in and vocal supporter of the company was tennis player Billie Jean King. David Schoenstadt founded Discovery Zone in 1989, with the first location opening in Kansas City, Missouri, in October 1989. A talking robot character named Z-Bop served as mascot to the chain. Make a difference in the lives of others.Discovery Zone ( DZ) was an American chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including roller slides, climbing play structures, and ball pits. It’s just plain fun! Where else can you come face to face with a ferret, tinker in a maker space, do the chicken dance at story time and spend your days exploring the beautiful wetlands trails? Meet other volunteers and staff with fascinating and diverse backgrounds and make lifelong friends. The DC has panache! It’s the winner of the 2014 Ruthies Award for Best Place to take the kids.īe part of a dynamic and creative team. So why choose us? Here are the top 5 great reasons to make the Discovery Center THE place to invest your time and talents.ĭiscovery Center is the ONLY place in Rutherford County where kids not only have fun, but have fun learning and developing cognitive skills with hands-on, minds-on exhibits, programs and events. We know you have tons of volunteer opportunities to choose from around our vibrant city. Volunteers get to explore behind the scenes and learn what makes this place so extraordinary. They help spark curiosity and engage children and families in ways that shape their lives forever. Whether you are a high-school or college student, a retired senior, or a working adult with the desire to give back to your community, we have opportunities for you! Volunteers at The Discovery Center are key to what we do each and every day.
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