Whatever Happened to Gigglebees in Sioux Falls?

You might remember the pizza, the arcade, or maybe the cheap ice cream. You might have spent Saturday afternoons there, hiding from the South Dakota winter or celebrating your friend’s 8^th birthday.

And you for sure remember the tricycle-riding robot coyote that brought you your food. Yes, I’m talking about Gigglebees, the family pizza restaurant that was a staple of life in Sioux Falls for 22 years.

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Before it was a pizza place, the corner of 14^th and Minnesota in central Sioux Falls was a Red Owl grocery store. Gigglebees opened in December 1985 as part of the Piccadilly Circus pizza chain. That chain eventually broke up and after a contest in 1989, the name changed to Gigglebees.

During the 1990s and into the first few years of the 21^st Century, Gigglebees was a destination restaurant for families in the Sioux Empire. The almost 13,000-square-foot building had arcade games, laser tag, bumper cars, and skeeball to go along with the pizza.

The centerpiece of the place was Gigglebees' mascot Wilbur the Coyote. He was a tricycle-riding robot waiter that delivered pizzas to customers.

As the city grew, competition increased and the cost of business rose. More restaurants opened in Sioux Falls, like Chuck E Cheese's in 2001, and the building aged. In 2008 the land was sold, and in July that same year, Wilbur delivered his last pizza.

The building at 14^th and Minnesota was torn down and a new office development went in, including a bank in the same spot as the former restaurant.

A few years ago Wilbur the Coyote made a comeback to the Sioux Falls scene as a sort of celebrity party guest. A former robot operator from Gigglebees who loves family entertainment brought the tricycle rider back to life and visited events around town.

Do You Remember These Closed Sioux Falls Restaurants?

Tasty restaurants have come and gone over the years. Unfortunately, some of these restaurants were our favorites and we still crave their food.

What I wouldn't do for one more Monte Cristo sandwich from Benningan's, or a Porky Calzone from Zaroty Pizza Kitchen.

Here's a list of several of our favorite Sioux Falls restaurants that have closed. Oh, we know there are many more. If we missed your favorite, make sure you send us a message or check out this story on our Facebook page and comment.

From eating cheeseburgers at the counter of Hamburger Inn to devouring egg rolls at Ming Wah Cafe, here's a list of our favorite restaurants that have closed and we miss.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown / Townsquare Media