Chuck E Cheese files Chapter 11

[RobbieL2415]

CEC has a reputation for being a sleezy place. It should be a meme.

It doesn't surprise me that the parent company is bankrupt. Themed entertainment outside amusement parks has become less popular since the year 2000. Video games are on mobile devices. The food sucks. The stores are often unclean. Animatronic shows outside of amusement parks are of poor quality now.

[SEWIGuy]

CEC has a reputation for being a sleezy place. It should be a meme.

It doesn't surprise me that the parent company is bankrupt. Themed entertainment outside amusement parks has become less popular since the year 2000. Video games are on mobile devices. The food sucks. The stores are often unclean. Animatronic shows outside of amusement parks are of poor quality now.

Yet it was profitable almost every year until it was purchased in an LBO and saddled with debt just a few years ago.  So their earnings before interest and taxes looked quite positive.

[dvferyance]

34 locations are closing. The list is at the bottom of the article.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/26/chuck-e-cheese-store-closings-list-chapter-11-bankruptcy/3262669001/

Although I couldn't read the article (ad blocker blocker), they just de-branded their Appleton, WI outlet over the past week or so.  It was right outside of Fox River Mall in the west suburban township area.

Mike.

I am surprised all of the Milwaukee area locations survived but not that one. We have like 4 down here that is a bit too much for a metro area our size.

[GaryV]

CEC in Troy, MI is in a former Gateway Computer store. (Remember them?)

[qguy]

CEC has a reputation for being a sleezy place. It should be a meme.

I've been in a CEC exactly twice and both times they seemed greasy-grubby to me. Kids would go back and forth from eating pizza to playing games to eating pizza to playing games. Yuck! I didn't want to touch either the game controls or the pizza that all the dirty little hands had touched. 

I went home hungry both times. I never ever want to go back, covid or no.

[ET21]

Went once and never liked it

[MisterSG1]

They never had one within Brampton during my younger days (and there still isn't one in Brampton). BUT, we did have Discovery Zone which went belly up over 20 years ago now, I mention them because I remember that CEC bought up the remains of DZ back then.

I know CEC was an arcade but I always thought it was a place that was always like a kiddie casino with redemption games. I mean no one wants to play video games in public anymore. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't any NON-redemption games on a CEC floor.

I'm quite knowledgeable about the decline of the arcade/pinball business, which have been in steady decline since the video game crash of 1983. Yes, arcades did have a BIG resurgence in the early 90s (mainly based on 3 style of games) but by the middle of the decade when the Playstation came out, it was a slow game over for the arcade. Hence why places like CEC and D&B have more redemption games than video games. The 90s arcade boom can be remembered fondly by these four words "WINNERS DON'T USE DRUGS".

[kkt]

I went there once, when my kid was invited to a birthday party there.  Not enough money in the world to get me to go there again.  I had a headache for days, and the pizza makes the cheapest frozen pizza in the supermarket taste like gourmet.

[kphoger]

the pizza makes the cheapest frozen pizza in the supermarket taste like gourmet.

It's not too bad if it's piping hot.  But, considering the only reason normal people go there is for a birthday party, and birthday festivities often interrupt the eating of the pizza, it's no guarantee the slice you eat will be any more than room temperature.

[Scott5114]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

[kkt]

It was pretty lousy even when it was hot.  Tomato sauce out of a can, cheap brand.  Chewy and not flavorful crust, ditto cheese.

[jp the roadgeek]

Eh, the second incarnation of Chuck E Cheese was nothing like the first.  My great aunt and grandmother used to take my cousin and I there as kids so we could play the video games, Skee-Ball, and play in the ball pit, all while they could enjoy an adult beverage or two.  Had my 8th and 9th birthday parties at 2 different locations.  About 20 years ago before they passed away, I took them both to lunch at a newer location.  It just wasn't the same.  The animatronics weren't as creative, and video games were pretty much nonexistent.  At least Skee-Ball was still there, but the thrill of using tokens and saving up tickets and cashing them in (and learning a trick on how to get the ticket machine to spit out an extra hundred tickets by tugging on the sides of the tickets as you ripped them off) had been replaced by debit cards.

[Flint1979]

It was way better when it was ShowBiz Pizza.

[Ned Weasel]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

What!?  I would have bought it under the real name!

[jeffandnicole]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

What!?  I would have bought it under the real name!

Did you?

[Scott5114]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

What!?  I would have bought it under the real name!

The name is Pasqually's. You can maybe still find it there, unless they took it down when people wised up to their scheme.

[jeffandnicole]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

What!?  I would have bought it under the real name!

The name is Pasqually's. You can maybe still find it there, unless they took it down when people wised up to their scheme.

I always questioned the person in the article that claimed she thought she was supporting a local business. Obviously she never heard of it before, and i would imagine someone would at least an inkling of the restaurants in the area.

[Scott5114]

During the lockdowns this spring, they got on to Doordash/Grubhub under a fake name to try to get people to still buy their pizzas and such for delivery.

What!?  I would have bought it under the real name!

The name is Pasqually's. You can maybe still find it there, unless they took it down when people wised up to their scheme.

I always questioned the person in the article that claimed she thought she was supporting a local business. Obviously she never heard of it before, and i would imagine someone would at least an inkling of the restaurants in the area.

If it's a local business that doesn't make enough money to advertise much, how would you have heard of it?

[Ned Weasel]

Did you?

Yeah, a friend had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when we were all in our early 20s.  It was fun, and I thought the pizza was very not-bad!  I'd probably rate it a notch above Little Caeser's and Papa John's, on par with Domino's, and a step below Pizza Hut.

[SectorZ]

Did you?

Yeah, a friend had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when we were all in our early 20s.  It was fun, and I thought the pizza was very not-bad!  I'd probably rate it a notch above Little Caeser's and Papa John's, on par with Domino's, and a step below Pizza Hut.

I never realized how good I have it living in New England for pizza.

[Ned Weasel]

Did you?

Yeah, a friend had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when we were all in our early 20s.  It was fun, and I thought the pizza was very not-bad!  I'd probably rate it a notch above Little Caeser's and Papa John's, on par with Domino's, and a step below Pizza Hut.

I never realized how good I have it living in New England for pizza.

I don't doubt it.  Best pizza I ever had was in Pennsylvania, second-best was in New Jersey.

[Ned Weasel]

I wonder if Chuck E. Cheese could save itself by re-packaging its business as a pizza delivery service where they bundle Steam game coupons or streaming video coupons in with pizza orders, so people can have Chuck E. Cheese pizza parties at home.  The delivery driver could even wear the mouse costume, but they'd be legally obligated not to wear the head while driving.

[Roadrunner75]

Did you?

Yeah, a friend had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when we were all in our early 20s.  It was fun, and I thought the pizza was very not-bad!  I'd probably rate it a notch above Little Caeser's and Papa John's, on par with Domino's, and a step below Pizza Hut.

I never realized how good I have it living in New England for pizza.

I don't doubt it.  Best pizza I ever had was in Pennsylvania, second-best was in New Jersey.

We have a lot of great mom and pop pizza in the NJ/PA/NY area - You don't really need to go to the chains.  That really also applies to food in general.  As I've traveled, I was surprised how much more other areas outside the northeast rely on chains.

[SEWIGuy]

Did you?

Yeah, a friend had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when we were all in our early 20s.  It was fun, and I thought the pizza was very not-bad!  I'd probably rate it a notch above Little Caeser's and Papa John's, on par with Domino's, and a step below Pizza Hut.

I never realized how good I have it living in New England for pizza.

I don't doubt it.  Best pizza I ever had was in Pennsylvania, second-best was in New Jersey.

We have a lot of great mom and pop pizza in the NJ/PA/NY area - You don't really need to go to the chains.  That really also applies to food in general.  As I've traveled, I was surprised how much more other areas outside the northeast rely on chains.

I've been to the northeast extensively, and I've really not noticed much of a difference. 

[Flint1979]

Best pizza ever is Buddy's on Conant and McNichols (Six Mile Road) in Detroit.