Vintage 2 Sets Discovery Zone Token-arcade Style Coin Discovery Zone Gaming Coin

In October 1989, fitness experts Al Fong and Ron Matsch opened Discovery Zone in Kansas City, Missouri.¹ Al Fong wanted to pry children away from TV sets and encourage physical fitness and interaction between kids and parents.⁶ They sold the business and its 39, company-owned, locations to Donald Flynn in July 1992.² Then in April 1993, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, another company owned by Flynn, purchased a 20 percent stake in Discovery Zone^{2, 5} Discovery Zone went public with 61 locations in June 1993.¹ In December 1993 Enchanted Castle merges with Discovery Zone Inc.³ By 1994 Blockbuster Entertainment Group owned 49.9 percent of Discovery Zone.² In September 1994 they purchase Leaps & Bounds indoor play facilities from McDonald's Corp.¹

Due to expanding so fast without the internal corporate structure to keep up, Discovery Zone did not have a profitable year till 1993. The following year, 1994, Discovery Zone posted a loss of $24.9 million and continued to post losses every following year.² In 1995 Donald Flynn sold Blockbuster Entertainment Group and Discovery Zone to Viacom.⁵ Discovery Zone filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 25, 1996.¹ In 1999 Discovery Zone abruptly closes more than 100 locations and sold some of its assets, including name and logo, to CEC Entertainment Inc., the owners of Chuck E Cheese.⁴