My sig-other and I were discussing Shakey's last night, and we agree that it was the best pizza on the west coast, and when Shakey's went under, so did pizza on the west coast.
Shakey's was extremely popular in the Midwest, as well. I had my free birthday meal there on my 17th birthday in Wausau, Wisconsin after we'd been driven off the roads by a blizzard. Dear "BOB!", was that nearly 15 years ago already?
I remember eating at Shakey's when I was a little kid but I don't remember getting any free Frisbys or TV commercials... or bears now that I think about it.
They're insanely popular in the Philippines and Japan (400plus locations), while 55 of the 60 locations in the USA are in California. They're all gone in the Midwest, the last 2 in Wisconsin closing last year.
"Shakey's Pizza was founded in Sacramento, California, on April 30, 1954, by Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson and Ed Plummer. Johnson's nickname resulted from nerve damage following a bout of malaria suffered during World War II."