Bubba Bear's Pizza Theatre

Bubba Bear’s was an animatronic restaurant in the 1990s in Palm Springs / Rancho Mirage, California. It had a one of a kind animatronic show built by MEC, and operated for around 6 years before closing.

History / Background

Bubba Bear’s was operated by married couple Gordon and Yvonne Keenoy. They already owned the Palm Desert Child Development Center, and wanted another business that catered to children but in a more fun way. To quote Gordon, “Working with children and parents everyday, it has become apparent that there is a definite need for increased activities for families to enjoy together. Our restaurant was designed with that specific purpose in mind”. Gordon Founded “Bubba Bear Entertainment Centers, Inc.” to operate the new business venture. The location they chose was a new shopping plaza in Rancho Mirage, a town just outside of Palm Springs bordering the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Construction started in 1991, and the restaurant opened up early the following year.

Bubba Bear’s Pizza Theatre held their grand opening on April 11th, 1992. Their tagline was “A family food n’ fun place”, and they served a pretty basic menu of pizza, hot dogs, and salads. The restaurant was named after their mascot, Bubba Bear, and the grand opening ads read “all decked out to entertain, to make you laugh, you know, be sure to see his theatre as he dances and sings, what a show”. A walkaround of Bubba was made, and it would both roam the restaurant and attend local community events. The general manager chosen for the store was Ed Sewell, a former Chuck E. Cheese's general manager. General attractions included a huge “ballroom” ballpit, as well as arcade games and unlicensed mascot characters. Parents even had their own room with TVs off to the side to watch sports. But the main draw of the restaurant was its animatronic show.

The show was made by MEC or McIndoe Entertainment Corp. The son of the founder began sharing photos of his father’s company in late 2025, including a photo of the Bubba Bear’s show. In the photo, dated 2/19/1994, two of the bears can be clearly seen, with the arm of another visible. One is playing a saxophone and the other looks to be playing a keyboard, with the one in the back playing a guitar. At the restaurant they were situated in the Bubba Bear Theatre, the main showroom. In addition to the bears shown in photos, articles mention Bubba Bear singing, a lip synching tree, and flowers as backup singers. This description is very different from the photo shared by McIndoe, meaning either the restaurant these bears went to is a different one, or the more likely theory is that in 1994 the owners decided to buy a bigger show and upgraded from the singing flower one mentioned shortly after opening. The show was said to have 17 songs performing plus a birthday song, a pretty large lineup for a small restaurant.

Bubba Bear’s had positive reviews throughout their first year of operation, and went into their second season strong. They had a one year anniversary party - again with unlicensed mascot characters attending. They got more bold with their ads and added more characters, with an ad in May of 93 reading “a purple dinosaur is coming! Guess who?”. Another read “The Famous Beagle” and “The Big Yellow Bird and Friend”. Copyright infringement aside, summer of 1993 also brought local television commercials for the restaurant, which are currently considered lost media. The restaurant continued to thrive, even as Leaps & Bounds came and went in the following years. In 1997, an adult room with more mature themed games like pool and darts was added for diversity.

Bubba Bear’s closed sometime in 1998 or early 1999 and was replaced with a night club. The fate of the show is unknown, and Gordon has since passed away. The commercials, showtapes, and any videos or photos of the restaurant are currently lost.

Information & Details

Bubba Bear's Pizza Theatre
72-200 Dinah Shore Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270