Rock-afire (Here We Go Again!)

Rock-afire is an American chain of family entertainment centers headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Each location features a full-service restaurant, full bar, video arcade, laser tag, bumper cars, a bowling alley, a trampoline zone, a showroom featuring an animatronic stage show, The Rock-afire Explosion, a karaoke machine, and a dance floor, and a smaller showroom featuring another animatronic, Uncle Klunk.
==History==
In 1985, after a period of disputes, Creative Engineering founder Aaron Fechter and ShowBiz Pizza Time Inc. signed an agreement that handed ownership of 80 Rock-afire Explosion shows to Fechter to sell to other customers, as well as revoking ShowBiz's exclusive rights to the characters. Fechter contacted ShowBiz franchisee Carmen Quayle about starting a competing family entertainment center chain, one that would be marketed as a "hipper" alternative to ShowBiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre and more oriented towards teenagers and young adults. 
The first Rock-afire Pizzeria & Arcade opened in Orlando, Florida on March 1, 1986, near Creative Engineering's facilities. All Quayle-owned ShowBiz franchises were gradually converted into Rock-afire locations. In 1991, Rock-afire opened its 100th location. Rock-afire would consistently rival ShowBiz in popularity throughout the 1990s. In April 1998, ShowBiz declared bankruptcy after several years of declining sales and Rock-afire purchased its assets, with the ShowBiz brand name going defunct as its remaining locations were either sold off or converted into Rock-afire locations. 1999 saw Rock-afire purchase thirteen locations of the also-bankrupt Discovery Zone. 
In July 1999, Rock-afire opened its 400th location. The 2000s saw massive growth for Rock-afire, with increased sales and further expansion.
In November 2012, Rock-afire introduced its current logo, dropping "Pizzeria & Arcade" from its name.
=== International expansion ===
The first Rock-afire location to open outside the United States is located in Yokohama, Japan. It opened in July 1988, and features the Rock-afire Explosion performing a mix of new Japanese-voiced material and repackaged English songs. Both Rock-afire and The Rock-afire Explosion became highly successful in Japan, to the point where exclusive showtapes and merchandise were (and still are) made for the country.
Other international locations opened in Australia in 1989, Canada and France in 1991, Mexico and the Philippines in 1993, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong in 1995, Romania and Israel in 1996, Chile and United Arab Emirates in 1998, Puerto Rico in 2001, South Korea and the UK in 2004, Jordan in 2009, Egypt in 2013, India and China in 2018, and Bahrain in 2021.
== Entertainment ==
As the name implies, Rock-afire's main source of entertainment is The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic band that also performed at ShowBiz Pizza Place locations from 1980 to 1988. Props and costumes are generally used as decor as well, such as Mitzi's cheerleading outfit and pom-poms used before 1989, as well as Billy Bob's banjo and Beach Bear's guitar. Vinyl records of Rock-afire Explosion songs are available from the prize counter. Another animatronic character, Uncle Klunk, is located in a separate room, The Uncle Klunk Abomination (named for the character's segments).
== Food ==
== Operations ==
==Sponsorships==
Category:Here We Go Again!