Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. Tokens shown by a Yelper. Source: Yelp.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. The top view. You can tell the two buildings and it was merged into one. Perhaps knocking a wall down. I do not have any photos of Billy Bob's. Sorry. Source: Google.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. March 2015. Name changed for this flea market. I do not have any photos of Billy Bob's. Sorry. Source: Google.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. June 2019. Name changed for this flea market. I do not have any photos of Billy Bob's. Sorry. Source: Google.
Duvell's Rollarena 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. Beautiful jacket and everybody know that sign. Source: Duvell Family Collection.
Duvell's Rollarena 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. Trophy with name that showed it was twin rinks. Source: Duvell Family Collection.
Duvell's Rollarena 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA. A YouTube video showing it was all a mess there after it was closed. See your favorite game? Maybe I see mine but could not tell. Sad about the appearance here. Video filmed in March 2009. Source: YouTube/Beach. Original is shown here: YouTube/nocashvalue23.
Duvell's Rollarena 1 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
Duvell's Rollarena 2 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
Skates in Motion 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
American Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd. SE, Conyers, GA
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
Duvell's Rollarena 2 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
Skates in Motion 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
American Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd. SE, Conyers, GA
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center 1439 Old Salem Rd SE, Conyers, GA
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center was a very interesting name for a rink! Seemly they were attempting to market as a pizza shop and a skating center. Pizza shop would be open while the rink was closed during the day. Smart. Unfortunately, that pizza shop and rink are listed here today because they did not survive. Operating a restaurant is also one of the toughest along with roller rink in 21st Century in Post-COVID and Post-9/11 Era.
Well, they had a good run till 2007. There are a few comments people posted saying they did not want the place closed down because it was well beloved place and pizza was good. Apparently they did have a good business model for the public especially parents and children. This kept me thinking of a kids' pizza restaurant called Chuck E. Cheese. Perhaps it was more like that model for this roller rink because they focus on pizza, not skating. Skating was an addition for kids after they skated, they ate pizza with parents. Or other way around.
If that was the case, this business model could have worked for today's rinks but its too focused and could get reputation like Chuck E. Cheese that no one else would come. For example, I am in my 50s and want to skate and would perhaps attend Christian Skate, Adult Skate Night, or something related to and I would not want to be around with too many wild kids like Chuck E. Cheese would do.
Sure that restaurant brand name really means you chuck when you play in their indoor playgrounds. E stands for "and" the word "Cheese" stands for cheese pizza.
Now back to Billy Bob's. Good thing I saw a picture of a token and the logo on there clearly was kid-fun fonts for the name, "Billy Bob's."
The owner of the rink was Billy Bob's Pizza Circus Inc. Apparently my assessment is correct that it is a pizza shop with a roller rink, not other way around that most rinks are like that. This pizza shop/rink earned a good 1.04 million USD in sales alone. Rarely a rink would earn this high annually. Like I said, this rink could have stayed opened! This also had a very large number of employees! Apparently the pizza shop was a restaurant rather than a snack-bar. Meaning that they had servers. No wonder this was a huge building with 35,200 Square Feet or SF. This was rare to have a restaurant and a rink of sort in this manner. Sports-O-Rama Plaza was a perfect example in this format till they closed Bit-O-West Steakhouse in 1960s.
Since the building was built in 1971, it was Duvell's Rollarena 1 and 2. Reason for that is because they had twin rinks but each one was specialty built differently. Please read 2nd update below for explanation.
Currently the building is valued at 3,373,557 USD. Wow! A lot of money for a 35,000 SF building.
I have no information regarding to American Skating Center. I do not know why I have that name and address. Was it a rink for a time after the Duvell's? After the Duvell's, it was Skates In Motion which was established in 1981. The reason for that is because the couple got divorced. So, one perhaps has the rink and had to rename it.
UPDATE! --
I received an email from a Cindy who grew up skating there. Here is what she has to say which surprised me! Read please --
I actually grew up skating here all of my teenage years back in the 80's and 90's. At that time it had changed hands a few times, but was always a fun place to go and skate. There were 2 buildings side by side, and both were skating rinks owned by the same person. I loved it. When it was bought and turned into Billy Bob's, they combined the buildings, tore out one of the rinks and went downhill from there. eventually they closed and some ghetto flea market took over and removed the skating rink and that is the tragic end, hope this helps for what it's worth.
Wow, so there were two buildings with roller rink right next door to each other!? That is most unusual and most unique I ever heard of. There was a rink that was forced to close due to non-payment of taxes in another state. Similar but that rink has two building adjoined like a set adjoined twin. Two in one but entrance is separate because one has for beginners/children and the other for adults. But this one Cindy is talking about is two separate buildings! Wow. Now I got to ask any of you have a photo of the rink exterior. Need that and photographs of interior as well. This is a must see!
2nd UPDATE! --
I received another email within a day or two on this rink! Lately I am getting emails coming in closely to discuss about a specific rink. This one and another rink earlier this week from two other people.
Here is what this gentleman has to say --
[First,] Skateland opened in 1965 as Roll-away Rink by Dot and Bubba Duvall with another partner. The Duvall family sold their interest in 1970 and built Rollarena in Conyers, GA. Rollarena was the name of the twin rinks. After Dot and Bubba divorced, the rinks were renamed Skates In Motion.
Roll-away: 125' x 55' maple floor (for the other location)
Rollarena #1: 202' x 70' maple floor
Rollarena #2: 180' x 65' floating maple floor.
And...
All three rinks had log cabin floors by Tillinghast Enterprises. The reason Rollarena #1 was 202' was to make it the longest in the South.
When Duvall's Rollarena was built in 1971, it was a single rink. My father started a session on Tuesday 6-8 for 12 and under ONLY. Within three months he was skating over 400 kids every Tuesday. 8:30-10:30 was 13 and over only.
With the success of those sessions, the idea of the twin rink arose. The second rink, 5 feet away, opened November 12, 1972. Friday and Saturday nights this floor skated 12 and under only.
Even legal capacity was higher, only 500 were allowed in #2 and 600 in the original rink. Maximum attendance one Friday night was 1252 skaters. We went a little over!
Wow, now that clears up some more! Thank you so much! Haha, wow! 1252 skaters! That was a lot! Some early 20th Century or even 19th Century some rinks I read about had 2000 skaters. It was an auditorium style roller rink with the seating. In fact, a couple of illustration from that century showed so many people seating and watch skaters skate. Few rinks held that on till Mid-Century (20th).
I believe it. I went to my first night ever with this much people never again this crowded. It was literally wall to wall. Sounds like it was for Duvell's rinks -- the shoulder to shoulder crowd. Good thing it was nothing. Not for the night club in Boston with that fire. They were over the max and many.. I do not need negative here. You can research.
This is the rink.. er, rinks! Yes, rinks I would have gone and see both rinks in session on that Friday night back the day.
The official name was Duvell's Twin Skating Center. But for here, I use 1 and 2 because of the two rink sizes and the differences.
For American Skating Center, it was Steve A. Astrin who owned and operated that rink for a short time.
Duvell's Skating Center/Skates in Motion/American Skating Center location --
The Interior.
Because they had two buildings, each one was a rink. Yes, two roller rinks! Each had a duplicate of everything from admission to skate rental to rink.
They had two rinks. Both Maple LOG Cabin layout style but Rink 2 had Floating Maple. floor designed for children. That I would have to say the largest children rink in a place with a regular rink in the world! Many children/practice rink are usually small. This one I have to declare this rink floor the largest in history, not present day.
The Exterior.
According to Cindy, the original was two rink buildings. Both were roller rinks right next door to each other on the same three acres property. Perhaps one purpose for a rink and the other for other. Maybe one was beginner and the other for adult. Who knows.
The Stats:
Duvell's rink 1 --
Rink Size: 202' x 70' (to make it the biggest rink in the South) Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: LOG CABIN.
(Originally for 12 and under but changed to 13 and older when Rink 2 opened)
Floor Contractor: Tillinghast Enterprises.
Duvell's rink 2 --
Rink Size: 180' x 65' Floor: Floating Maple. Floor Layout: LOG CABIN.
(made for children 12 and under only).
Floor Contractor: Tillinghast Enterprises.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1971. Demolished: Billy Bob's owner combined two building and kept one rink.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses, Cinderblocks-Walled Store Front Buildings, twin.
Roof: Each has Gable Roof.
Acres: 3.0000 AC (130,680 SF).
Billy Bob's location --
The Interior.
N/A. Likely they had exposed ceiling thanks to flea market shoppers or owners taking pictures of the shops in the building. Clearly the rink itself was pour concrete. They also had Free-span steel trusses as well.
The Exterior.
Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block Store-front like Building. The Cinder-block has Natural White decor style blocks. I believe the Awing there was for the rink and the current flea market owners had new sign replaced the old skating rink and pizza shop. Currently it still has that Natural White decor style Cinder-blocks with the Blue awing with the Flea Market name on it before it changed to Mini-Mall. Likely this is where the old rink had their name on it. Google Map could not go back further than 2015. Sorry so I have no photos at all. Anyone?
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely Concrete. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 35,200 SF Built: 1989 (renovation combined two into one)
Demolished: Still standing. Now a flea market.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block Store-front like Building.
Roof: (actual) Twin Gable.
Acres: 3.0000 AC (130,680 SF).
Operated: (overall) 1971 to July 2007.
Duvell's Rollarena 1: 1971 to N/A.
Duvell's Rollarena 2: November 12, 1972 to N/A.
Skates in Motion: N/A. to 1986.
American Skating Center: 1986 to 1989.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center: 1989 to July 2007.
Reason for Closure:
Duvell's Rollarena 1: Divorce
Duvell's Rollarena 2: Divorce
Skates in Motion: N/A.
American Skating Center: N/A.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos, exact dates, and why closed? All for both rinks. Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Yelp - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
CMAC - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Dun & Bradstreet - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Manta - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Enriched Real Estate
Email from Cindy.
Email from P.D.
Open Corporate - American Skating Center
Show Biz Pizza - Billy Bob's.
Date of Issue: 2019.
Update: 17 Sept 2021.
Update: 12 April 2022.
For Office Only: 4/1.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, 16.
Well, they had a good run till 2007. There are a few comments people posted saying they did not want the place closed down because it was well beloved place and pizza was good. Apparently they did have a good business model for the public especially parents and children. This kept me thinking of a kids' pizza restaurant called Chuck E. Cheese. Perhaps it was more like that model for this roller rink because they focus on pizza, not skating. Skating was an addition for kids after they skated, they ate pizza with parents. Or other way around.
If that was the case, this business model could have worked for today's rinks but its too focused and could get reputation like Chuck E. Cheese that no one else would come. For example, I am in my 50s and want to skate and would perhaps attend Christian Skate, Adult Skate Night, or something related to and I would not want to be around with too many wild kids like Chuck E. Cheese would do.
Sure that restaurant brand name really means you chuck when you play in their indoor playgrounds. E stands for "and" the word "Cheese" stands for cheese pizza.
Now back to Billy Bob's. Good thing I saw a picture of a token and the logo on there clearly was kid-fun fonts for the name, "Billy Bob's."
The owner of the rink was Billy Bob's Pizza Circus Inc. Apparently my assessment is correct that it is a pizza shop with a roller rink, not other way around that most rinks are like that. This pizza shop/rink earned a good 1.04 million USD in sales alone. Rarely a rink would earn this high annually. Like I said, this rink could have stayed opened! This also had a very large number of employees! Apparently the pizza shop was a restaurant rather than a snack-bar. Meaning that they had servers. No wonder this was a huge building with 35,200 Square Feet or SF. This was rare to have a restaurant and a rink of sort in this manner. Sports-O-Rama Plaza was a perfect example in this format till they closed Bit-O-West Steakhouse in 1960s.
Since the building was built in 1971, it was Duvell's Rollarena 1 and 2. Reason for that is because they had twin rinks but each one was specialty built differently. Please read 2nd update below for explanation.
Currently the building is valued at 3,373,557 USD. Wow! A lot of money for a 35,000 SF building.
I have no information regarding to American Skating Center. I do not know why I have that name and address. Was it a rink for a time after the Duvell's? After the Duvell's, it was Skates In Motion which was established in 1981. The reason for that is because the couple got divorced. So, one perhaps has the rink and had to rename it.
UPDATE! --
I received an email from a Cindy who grew up skating there. Here is what she has to say which surprised me! Read please --
I actually grew up skating here all of my teenage years back in the 80's and 90's. At that time it had changed hands a few times, but was always a fun place to go and skate. There were 2 buildings side by side, and both were skating rinks owned by the same person. I loved it. When it was bought and turned into Billy Bob's, they combined the buildings, tore out one of the rinks and went downhill from there. eventually they closed and some ghetto flea market took over and removed the skating rink and that is the tragic end, hope this helps for what it's worth.
Wow, so there were two buildings with roller rink right next door to each other!? That is most unusual and most unique I ever heard of. There was a rink that was forced to close due to non-payment of taxes in another state. Similar but that rink has two building adjoined like a set adjoined twin. Two in one but entrance is separate because one has for beginners/children and the other for adults. But this one Cindy is talking about is two separate buildings! Wow. Now I got to ask any of you have a photo of the rink exterior. Need that and photographs of interior as well. This is a must see!
2nd UPDATE! --
I received another email within a day or two on this rink! Lately I am getting emails coming in closely to discuss about a specific rink. This one and another rink earlier this week from two other people.
Here is what this gentleman has to say --
[First,] Skateland opened in 1965 as Roll-away Rink by Dot and Bubba Duvall with another partner. The Duvall family sold their interest in 1970 and built Rollarena in Conyers, GA. Rollarena was the name of the twin rinks. After Dot and Bubba divorced, the rinks were renamed Skates In Motion.
Roll-away: 125' x 55' maple floor (for the other location)
Rollarena #1: 202' x 70' maple floor
Rollarena #2: 180' x 65' floating maple floor.
And...
All three rinks had log cabin floors by Tillinghast Enterprises. The reason Rollarena #1 was 202' was to make it the longest in the South.
When Duvall's Rollarena was built in 1971, it was a single rink. My father started a session on Tuesday 6-8 for 12 and under ONLY. Within three months he was skating over 400 kids every Tuesday. 8:30-10:30 was 13 and over only.
With the success of those sessions, the idea of the twin rink arose. The second rink, 5 feet away, opened November 12, 1972. Friday and Saturday nights this floor skated 12 and under only.
Even legal capacity was higher, only 500 were allowed in #2 and 600 in the original rink. Maximum attendance one Friday night was 1252 skaters. We went a little over!
Wow, now that clears up some more! Thank you so much! Haha, wow! 1252 skaters! That was a lot! Some early 20th Century or even 19th Century some rinks I read about had 2000 skaters. It was an auditorium style roller rink with the seating. In fact, a couple of illustration from that century showed so many people seating and watch skaters skate. Few rinks held that on till Mid-Century (20th).
I believe it. I went to my first night ever with this much people never again this crowded. It was literally wall to wall. Sounds like it was for Duvell's rinks -- the shoulder to shoulder crowd. Good thing it was nothing. Not for the night club in Boston with that fire. They were over the max and many.. I do not need negative here. You can research.
This is the rink.. er, rinks! Yes, rinks I would have gone and see both rinks in session on that Friday night back the day.
The official name was Duvell's Twin Skating Center. But for here, I use 1 and 2 because of the two rink sizes and the differences.
For American Skating Center, it was Steve A. Astrin who owned and operated that rink for a short time.
Duvell's Skating Center/Skates in Motion/American Skating Center location --
The Interior.
Because they had two buildings, each one was a rink. Yes, two roller rinks! Each had a duplicate of everything from admission to skate rental to rink.
They had two rinks. Both Maple LOG Cabin layout style but Rink 2 had Floating Maple. floor designed for children. That I would have to say the largest children rink in a place with a regular rink in the world! Many children/practice rink are usually small. This one I have to declare this rink floor the largest in history, not present day.
The Exterior.
According to Cindy, the original was two rink buildings. Both were roller rinks right next door to each other on the same three acres property. Perhaps one purpose for a rink and the other for other. Maybe one was beginner and the other for adult. Who knows.
The Stats:
Duvell's rink 1 --
Rink Size: 202' x 70' (to make it the biggest rink in the South) Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: LOG CABIN.
(Originally for 12 and under but changed to 13 and older when Rink 2 opened)
Floor Contractor: Tillinghast Enterprises.
Duvell's rink 2 --
Rink Size: 180' x 65' Floor: Floating Maple. Floor Layout: LOG CABIN.
(made for children 12 and under only).
Floor Contractor: Tillinghast Enterprises.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1971. Demolished: Billy Bob's owner combined two building and kept one rink.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses, Cinderblocks-Walled Store Front Buildings, twin.
Roof: Each has Gable Roof.
Acres: 3.0000 AC (130,680 SF).
Billy Bob's location --
The Interior.
N/A. Likely they had exposed ceiling thanks to flea market shoppers or owners taking pictures of the shops in the building. Clearly the rink itself was pour concrete. They also had Free-span steel trusses as well.
The Exterior.
Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block Store-front like Building. The Cinder-block has Natural White decor style blocks. I believe the Awing there was for the rink and the current flea market owners had new sign replaced the old skating rink and pizza shop. Currently it still has that Natural White decor style Cinder-blocks with the Blue awing with the Flea Market name on it before it changed to Mini-Mall. Likely this is where the old rink had their name on it. Google Map could not go back further than 2015. Sorry so I have no photos at all. Anyone?
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely Concrete. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 35,200 SF Built: 1989 (renovation combined two into one)
Demolished: Still standing. Now a flea market.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Cinder-block Store-front like Building.
Roof: (actual) Twin Gable.
Acres: 3.0000 AC (130,680 SF).
Operated: (overall) 1971 to July 2007.
Duvell's Rollarena 1: 1971 to N/A.
Duvell's Rollarena 2: November 12, 1972 to N/A.
Skates in Motion: N/A. to 1986.
American Skating Center: 1986 to 1989.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center: 1989 to July 2007.
Reason for Closure:
Duvell's Rollarena 1: Divorce
Duvell's Rollarena 2: Divorce
Skates in Motion: N/A.
American Skating Center: N/A.
Billy Bob's Pizza & Skating Center: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos, exact dates, and why closed? All for both rinks. Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Yelp - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
CMAC - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Dun & Bradstreet - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Manta - Billy Bob's Pizza and Skate
Enriched Real Estate
Email from Cindy.
Email from P.D.
Open Corporate - American Skating Center
Show Biz Pizza - Billy Bob's.
Date of Issue: 2019.
Update: 17 Sept 2021.
Update: 12 April 2022.
For Office Only: 4/1.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, 16.