Mel McGowan Interview: Designing a New Restaurant for Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm | Prop Shop Pizzeria

Storyland Studios partnered with Knott’s Berry Farm during the COVID-19 pandemic to help revitalize key areas of the park. While many California theme parks remained closed, Knott’s leveraged its rich heritage and strong community connections to keep its doors open.

We were honored to design and master plan the Boardwalk’s new Prop Shop Pizzeria, An Italian Kitchen, transforming the former Hollywood Hits walk-up counter into a fully themed dining experience. The restaurant’s name pays tribute to its original use as a prop shop for the Walter Knott Theater.

This project was a collaborative effort with Cedar Fair executives Matt Ouimet and Raffi Kaprelyan, legendary Imagineer Rolly Crump, and former Disneyland VP Jon Storbeck.

Read the full story in our work section.

Hear what our Chief Creative Officer, Mel McGowan, has to say about the project: