Chuck E. Cheese's
Encyclopedia
Chuck E. Cheese's is a chain of family entertainment center
s. Chuck E. Cheese's is the main brand of CEC Entertainment, Inc., with its headquarters in Irving
, Texas.
The concept is a sit-down pizza
restaurant, complemented by arcade game
s, amusement ride
s, an animatronic
show, and other diversions, such as climbing equipment, tubes, and slides − all mainly directed at younger children. The brand is represented by Chuck E. Cheese, an anthropomorphic
mouse
.
The company was founded as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre by Nolan Bushnell
in 1977, officially being labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. Pizza Time Theatre and Showbiz Pizza Place
merged in 1984, bringing both concepts under the wing of Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. In 1991/2, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. unified the two brands into Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. In 1994, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza underwent a redesign, changing to Chuck E. Cheese's by 1995. In 1998, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. was renamed to CEC Entertainment, Inc.', removing any mention of Showbiz Pizza Place, Inc., the company that CEC Entertainment, Inc. started as. In 2007, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary, and as of May 2009, it operates 542 restaurants.
founder Nolan Bushnell
. Bushnell’s experience in the amusement park industry, as well as his fondness of The Walt Disney Company
, was influential in the conceptualization of the Pizza Time Theatre concept. The first location opened in San Jose
, California in 1977, and was labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. In November 1978, Bushnell left Atari to purchase the Pizza Time Theatre concept from Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications
.
of Topeka Inn Management in 1979. The agreement handed Brock exclusive franchising rights for opening Pizza Time Theatres in sixteen states across the southern and midwestern United States
, while also forming a company subdivision, "Pizza Show Biz", to develop the Pizza Time Theatres.
Concerned that Fechter’s animatronics would be too strong a competition for Bushnell’s work, Brock requested that Bushnell release him from the co-development agreement, citing misrepresentation. In December 1979, Brock and Fechter formed “Showbiz Pizza Place Inc”, severing Brock's business relationship with Bushnell. Showbiz Pizza Place
was conceptually identical to Pizza Time Theatre in all aspects except for animation; which would be provided by Creative Engineering. Showbiz Pizza Place opened its first location on March 3, 1980, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Upon the opening of Showbiz Pizza Place, Bushnell sued Brock and Topeka Inn Management over breach of contract. Brock immediately issued a counter-suit against Bushnell, citing misrepresentation. The court case began in March 1980, eventually settling out of court; with Showbiz agreeing to pay Pizza Time Theatre a portion of its profits over the following decade. During this period, Topeka Inn Management also changes its name to Brock Hotel Corporation and moved its headquarters to Irving
, Texas. Both restaurants experienced increased success as the video game industry became more robust; and to maintain competition, both franchises continually modified and diversified their animatronic shows.
for Pizza Time Theatre Inc. Showbiz then bought the floundering company, recreating itself as Showbiz Pizza Time Inc.
. Recently, in 2007, Chuck E. Cheese's celebrated its 30th anniversary. Currently, there are 542 open locations throughout North America, South America, and the Middle East.
, Chuck E. Cheese's also offers sandwiches
, hot dogs, wings, side dishes and desserts. Some stores are also used as "test" locations which feature new Chuck E. Cheese foods. Certain Chuck E. Cheese locations also offer beer
.
. The arcade games primarily consist of either redemption game
s or video arcade games
.
issued by the company for use in their arcades exist in numerous varieties and are collected by exonumia
enthusiasts. The company is currently testing a card access method for use with their arcade/skill games; where locations will no longer use tokens, and instead use a refillable card to access credits (tokens) and points (tickets). This concept is currently in the testing phase in Irving, Texas, along with nine other locations in the United States.
When the first location opened in 1977, the animatronic characters were featured in framed portraits (no longer used) hanging on the walls of the main dining area. The show had Crusty the cat (first character to face retirement), Pasqually the singing chef, Jasper T. Jowls and the star of the show, Chuck E. Cheese. In 1978, Crusty was retired and soon replaced with Mr. Munch (the purple pizza eater). Later restaurants also added "Cabaret" shows in separate rooms of each restaurant. They also frequently changed out the sole female character, named Helen Henny, in the main show, which involved a cosmetic change to the existing robot as well as change of stage backdrop to match the performer.
Beginning in 1998, the company's show installed into new stores, referred to as "Studio C", consists of a single animated Chuck E. Cheese character alongside large television monitors, lighting effects, and interactive elements. In some markets, the company has also tried a new store concept that omits the animated show.
The LIVE! show is performed at the front of the stage in the showroom. The costumed Chuck E. Cheese dances with the guests and sings, while being accompanied by the cast members. A LIVE! Show consists of singing Happy Birthday to the birthday kid.
The Road show is a performance by a costumed Chuck E. Cheese character, and is performed outside the normal showroom. Children are gathered via the public announcement system and can dance to win free tickets.
Family Entertainment Center
A family entertainment center , often abbreviated FEC in the entertainment industry, is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small children to teenagers, and often entirely indoors or associated with a larger operation such as a theme park...
s. Chuck E. Cheese's is the main brand of CEC Entertainment, Inc., with its headquarters in Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, Texas.
The concept is a sit-down pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
restaurant, complemented by arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s, amusement ride
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s, an animatronic
Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics is the registered trademark for a form of robotics created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. The robots move and make noise, generally in speech or song...
show, and other diversions, such as climbing equipment, tubes, and slides − all mainly directed at younger children. The brand is represented by Chuck E. Cheese, an anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
.
The company was founded as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre by Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell
Nolan K. Bushnell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who founded both Atari, Inc and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theaters chain...
in 1977, officially being labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. Pizza Time Theatre and Showbiz Pizza Place
Showbiz Pizza Place
ShowBiz Pizza Place was a restaurant chain popular in the 1980s. Its history is greatly intertwined with that of its main competitor and eventual successor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Both companies found early success, owing partially to the rise in popularity of arcade games at the...
merged in 1984, bringing both concepts under the wing of Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. In 1991/2, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. unified the two brands into Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. In 1994, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza underwent a redesign, changing to Chuck E. Cheese's by 1995. In 1998, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. was renamed to CEC Entertainment, Inc.', removing any mention of Showbiz Pizza Place, Inc., the company that CEC Entertainment, Inc. started as. In 2007, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary, and as of May 2009, it operates 542 restaurants.
Corporate history
Chuck E. Cheese's, originally referred to as Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, was founded by AtariAtari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
founder Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell
Nolan K. Bushnell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who founded both Atari, Inc and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theaters chain...
. Bushnell’s experience in the amusement park industry, as well as his fondness of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, was influential in the conceptualization of the Pizza Time Theatre concept. The first location opened in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California in 1977, and was labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. In November 1978, Bushnell left Atari to purchase the Pizza Time Theatre concept from Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
.
Franchising
As the restaurant became increasingly successful, he began to franchise, resulting in a co-development agreement between Bushnell and Robert BrockRobert L. Brock
Robert L. Brock was an American businessman. As the Chairman of Brock Hotel Corporation, the first and at the time largest franchisee of Holiday Inns, he founded Showbiz Pizza Place in 1980 in Topeka, Kansas.-External links:...
of Topeka Inn Management in 1979. The agreement handed Brock exclusive franchising rights for opening Pizza Time Theatres in sixteen states across the southern and midwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, while also forming a company subdivision, "Pizza Show Biz", to develop the Pizza Time Theatres.
Showbiz Pizza Place Inc.
In November 1979, Brock met Aaron Fechter of Creative Engineering, Inc.Creative Engineering, Inc.
Creative Engineering, Inc. or CEI is a company most famous for creating the animatronic characters featured at Showbiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, the most popular being The Rock-afire Explosion. They are also known for creating the Whac-A-Mole game in 1971. The company was founded...
Concerned that Fechter’s animatronics would be too strong a competition for Bushnell’s work, Brock requested that Bushnell release him from the co-development agreement, citing misrepresentation. In December 1979, Brock and Fechter formed “Showbiz Pizza Place Inc”, severing Brock's business relationship with Bushnell. Showbiz Pizza Place
Showbiz Pizza Place
ShowBiz Pizza Place was a restaurant chain popular in the 1980s. Its history is greatly intertwined with that of its main competitor and eventual successor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Both companies found early success, owing partially to the rise in popularity of arcade games at the...
was conceptually identical to Pizza Time Theatre in all aspects except for animation; which would be provided by Creative Engineering. Showbiz Pizza Place opened its first location on March 3, 1980, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, Texas. Both restaurants experienced increased success as the video game industry became more robust; and to maintain competition, both franchises continually modified and diversified their animatronic shows.
Merger
In 1981, Pizza Time Theatre went public; however, the evolving video game industry resulted in significant losses for Pizza Time Theatre; losing $15 million in 1983, and by 1984, Bushnell’s debts were insurmountable, resulting in the filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcyChapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
for Pizza Time Theatre Inc. Showbiz then bought the floundering company, recreating itself as Showbiz Pizza Time Inc.
Restructuring
After the merger, both restaurants continued operating under the different titles, while major financial restructuring had begun, eventually becoming publicly traded in 1989, with sales increasing by 8.3%. During this period, Creative Engineering began to sever ties with Showbiz Pizza Time (they officially left the company in September 1990), eventually resulting in the unification of its mixed characters. By 1992, all restaurants assumed the name of Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza. However, the name was changed to Chuck E. Cheese's in 1994 during a redesigning of the concept. In 1998, the company renamed itself CEC Entertainment, Inc., and in 1999, bought out competitor Discovery ZoneDiscovery Zone
Discovery Zone was a chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including slides, climbing play structures and ball pits. The chain was founded by Ronald Matsch, Jim Jorgensen, Mike Geselbracht and Dr. David Schoenstadt in 1989. The...
. Recently, in 2007, Chuck E. Cheese's celebrated its 30th anniversary. Currently, there are 542 open locations throughout North America, South America, and the Middle East.
Menu items
While its primary focus is pizzaPizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, Chuck E. Cheese's also offers sandwiches
Sandwiches
"Sandwiches" is a song by American electronic band Detroit Grand Pubahs. It reached number 29 in the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.- Track listing :...
, hot dogs, wings, side dishes and desserts. Some stores are also used as "test" locations which feature new Chuck E. Cheese foods. Certain Chuck E. Cheese locations also offer beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
.
Arcade
From the time of the company's formation to today, one of the main draws for the stores is the arcadeVideo arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
. The arcade games primarily consist of either redemption game
Redemption game
Redemption games are typically arcade games of skill that reward the player proportionally to their score in the game. The reward most often comes in the form of tickets, with more tickets being awarded for higher scores. These tickets can then be redeemed at a central location for prizes...
s or video arcade games
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
.
Currency
The brass tokensToken coin
In the study of numismatics, tokens are coin-like objects used instead of coins. The field of tokens is part of exonumia. Tokens are used in place of coins and either have a denomination shown or implied by size, color or shape...
issued by the company for use in their arcades exist in numerous varieties and are collected by exonumia
Exonumia
Exonumia are numismatic items other than coins and paper money. This includes "Good For" tokens, badges, counterstamped coins, elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, wooden nickels and other similar items...
enthusiasts. The company is currently testing a card access method for use with their arcade/skill games; where locations will no longer use tokens, and instead use a refillable card to access credits (tokens) and points (tickets). This concept is currently in the testing phase in Irving, Texas, along with nine other locations in the United States.
Animatronic figures
Along with the arcade, the other main draw for the stores is its animatronic show. From the time of the company's formation through the mid-1990s, the company's animated characters were a main draw for the stores. More recently, less attention has been placed on animatronics. There are several different styles of animatronic shows in use within the company, depending on when the store opened, whether it was renovated, and other factors.When the first location opened in 1977, the animatronic characters were featured in framed portraits (no longer used) hanging on the walls of the main dining area. The show had Crusty the cat (first character to face retirement), Pasqually the singing chef, Jasper T. Jowls and the star of the show, Chuck E. Cheese. In 1978, Crusty was retired and soon replaced with Mr. Munch (the purple pizza eater). Later restaurants also added "Cabaret" shows in separate rooms of each restaurant. They also frequently changed out the sole female character, named Helen Henny, in the main show, which involved a cosmetic change to the existing robot as well as change of stage backdrop to match the performer.
Beginning in 1998, the company's show installed into new stores, referred to as "Studio C", consists of a single animated Chuck E. Cheese character alongside large television monitors, lighting effects, and interactive elements. In some markets, the company has also tried a new store concept that omits the animated show.
Group members
- Chuck E. Cheese — vocals
- Helen Henny — vocals
- Mr. Munch — vocals, keyboards
- Jasper T. Jowls — vocals, guitar
- Pasqually — vocals, percussion, accordion
Costumed shows
- LIVE! show
The LIVE! show is performed at the front of the stage in the showroom. The costumed Chuck E. Cheese dances with the guests and sings, while being accompanied by the cast members. A LIVE! Show consists of singing Happy Birthday to the birthday kid.
- Road show
The Road show is a performance by a costumed Chuck E. Cheese character, and is performed outside the normal showroom. Children are gathered via the public announcement system and can dance to win free tickets.
See also
- Showbiz Pizza PlaceShowbiz Pizza PlaceShowBiz Pizza Place was a restaurant chain popular in the 1980s. Its history is greatly intertwined with that of its main competitor and eventual successor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Both companies found early success, owing partially to the rise in popularity of arcade games at the...
- The Rock-afire ExplosionThe Rock-afire ExplosionThe Rock-afire Explosion is an animatronic robot band that played in Showbiz Pizza Place from 1980 to 1990, and in various Showbiz Pizza locations between 1990-1992 as Showbiz rebranded and the band was steadily replaced by Chuck E. Cheese characters...
- Planet PizzaPlanet PizzaPlanet Pizza was a U.S. restaurant chain with video gaming arcades that operated in the 1980s and 1990s. It was founded in 1981 as a competitor to the hugely popular Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre...
- Dave & Buster'sDave & Buster'sDave & Buster's is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Each D&B has a full-service restaurant and a video arcade. As of July 1, 2009, the company had 57 locations across the United States and two in Canada. The company also licenses the D&B concept...
– similar concept, aimed at adults
External links
- Official website
- FoodInfoDB - Nutritional information for Chuck E. Cheese's menu items