Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse (stylized as BUGABOO CREEK STEAK HOUSE) was a Canadian-themed U.S.

casual dining Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categor ...

restaurant chain A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many pa ...

, serving American cuisine, based in

East Providence, Rhode Island East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,139 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-largest city in the state. Geography East Providence is located between the Providence and Seeko ...

. The restaurant first opened in October 1992 in

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. Up until the mid 2010s, it was known for several novel

animatronics An animatronic is a puppet controlled electronically to move in a fluent way. Animatronics are the modern adaptation of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions. Anim ...

based on the wildlife of Canada. Animatronics of bulls, buffaloes, or moose trophy head mounts would greet guests and provide entertainment. Other novelty characters such as Timber, The Talking

Christmas Tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

, would be programmed to tell customers about Canadian history and natural attractions.

Bankruptcy and closure

In November 2010, Praesidian Capital announced that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed most of its

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locations. At the time of the announcement, the company had 12 restaurants still in operation after closing 18 restaurants the previous week. Following the bankruptcy, the chain began moving away from the talking animals, shutting down their animatronics while still leaving them up on the walls. On June 29, 2016, the chain completely closed its doors worldwide.

Animatronics

From the time of the chain's opening until the bankruptcy, Bugaboo Creek was known for its novelty animatronics. Among the real mounts of bucks, deer and bears, several recreated mounts would be fitted with robotics to talk and move. Depending on the location,

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

or buffalo mounts would be near the dining tables or at the bar, whereas a constant Bill the Buffalo would watch over the customers coming into the dining room. The characters would break the fourth wall, sardonically referencing their status as perpetually trapped robots, hanging above the guests, who were happily enjoying their meals. Local restaurants would name these animatronics, such as Moxie the Moose or Goose the Moose. Classic flapping fish were included alongside raccoons or weasels who would pop out of wooden barrels. After the restaurant closed, the non-robotic mounts were sold at local auctions, yet the locations of the talking moose and buffaloes are unknown, the auctioneer responsible for the bankruptcy auction believed them to have found homes in other game themed restaurants.

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External links

* {{Restaurants in Rhode Island Companies based in Essex County, New Jersey Restaurants in New Jersey Economy of the Northeastern United States Regional restaurant chains in the United States Restaurants established in 1996 Restaurants disestablished in 2016 Steakhouses in the United States Defunct steakhouses in the United States Defunct restaurant chains in the United States Defunct restaurants in the United States 1996 establishments in New Jersey 2016 disestablishments in New Jersey Millburn, New Jersey Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010 Theme restaurants

Menu

Bankruptcy and closure

Animatronics

References

External links