(Photo from Damon Breland)
- This full-scale, 1980s-style Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz Pizza replica was built from the ground up by tech professional and Southern Miss alum Damon Breland.
You might not expect to find one of the country’s most unique and nostalgic treasures hidden in a tiny Mississippi town—but inside a former gas station in rural Little Improve, Mississippi, you will find something truly extraordinary. What looks like an unassuming building from the outside turns into a glowing, animatronic dreamscape from the moment you walk through the door.
Welcome to Smitty’s Super Service—a full-scale, 1980s-style Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz Pizza replica built from the ground up by tech professional and Southern Miss alum Damon Breland. It’s not a business per se, nor is it a gimmick. It’s a heartfelt time machine—built one animatronic character, neon light, and buzzing speaker at a time.
“I’m a child of the ’80s who wanted to preserve something important to me,” Damon said. “And what’s better than a chunk of the ’80s?!”
The idea began small—just a curio case in a spare room. Then it spread to his father’s garage. Eventually, it found a permanent home in what was once his grandfather’s store, a timeless gas station in the small town near Sandy Hook.
“It’s kind of a mutation,” he joked. “It started with a few pieces, then took on a life of its own.”
In 2001, Damon boarded his first-ever flight to Orlando, Florida, to pick up a treasure—a whole animatronic stage show from a closed Chuck E. Cheese. That trip marked the beginning of a two-decade journey of collecting, restoring, and building.
“It took four years to build the stage and wire everything properly,” he said. “The air, the electric, every detail had to be right.”
Today, visitors will find several familiar characters performing with all the charm and creaks of an authentic ’80s show. These aren’t replicas—they’re originals, salvaged from across the country and given new life.
By day, Damon works in the tech industry, he is also a devoted husband and father. In his spare time, he’s preserving an era of birthday tokens, greasy pizza, and singing robots that defined a generation.
“This is just a hobby,” he said. “But social media has made it into something I never expected.”
Thanks to platforms like TikTok and YouTube, Smitty’s has exploded in popularity.
“Because of social media, we’ve had more people visit on a weekend than we used to have in a whole year,” Damon said.
Content creators and nostalgia fans have shared their visits online, and his little corner of Mississippi has now hosted guests from all over the globe.
Smitty’s has also become a hub for pop culture fans closer to home. The Lucky Rabbit in Hattiesburg recently hosted their staff party there—and yes, there is a connection.
“We’re friends who both love nostalgic treasures,” Damon said. “If you visited The Lucky Rabbit during their Beetlejuice exhibit, you actually took a photo with me—I was Beetlejuice.”
When asked about his visitors, Damon shared that his guests typically fall into a rule of thirds.
“About 33% are adults who grew up in the ’80s and want to share a piece of their childhood with their kids. Another 33% are kids who’ve gone down the YouTube rabbit hole and discovered these vintage Chuck E. Cheese robots. And the last third? Children with autism.”
That last group holds special meaning.
“I don’t know why children with autism are fascinated with my collection,” he shared. “They love to come in and play, and explore. We’ve had so many families thank us for what we do.”
Then, with sincerity, he added, “Autism is also near and dear to my heart. My daughter has autism, and I started this collection well before she was born. I would have never dreamed that my hobby would be helpful to children and their families. You know, the Lord works in mysterious ways.”
There’s no pizza served here, but guests are welcome to bring their own. Visits are by appointment only, and the building is available for private events. There are photo ops in every corner—from the glowing stage to the vintage signage—and every inch of Smitty’s radiates retro joy!
“I didn’t build this expecting it to become an attraction for people to see,” Damon said. “I just wanted something from my childhood that my kids could experience too. But seeing people light up when they walk in? That’s the real magic. That’s what keeps me going.”
In a world that’s constantly changing, there’s something comforting about a space that celebrates the wonderful, magical aspects of childhood. Damon didn’t just preserve a piece of the past—he built a soft landing for people looking to reconnect with the joy of simpler days.
So, here’s to Smitty’s Super Service —a one-of-a-kind nostalgic marvel where the lights still blink, the robots still sing, and the best parts of childhood never get left behind. After all, this place proves that it really can still be a world “where a kid can be a kid.”
Meredith Biesinger
