I hear that this chain for where some parents take their children for birthday parties is in major trouble and files for Chapter 11.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/25/chuck-e-cheese-files-bankruptcy-peter-piper-pizza-chapter-11/3256152001/
Wow, no wonder they had to sell uneaten pizza.
SM-G965U
Please change the thread title to "Chuck E. Cheese Animatronically Files for Chapter 11".
In other rat-like news, CEC was also desperately selling their pizza under a different name (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/local-restaurant-on-delivery-app-actually-chuck-e-cheese-pasquallys). And no free tokens, either.
Chuck E Cheese was great in the heyday of the coin-op arcades but then pizza was subpar even by 1980s standards. The decline of the arcades really affected the locations when I was growing and the company did essentially nothing to be more competitive with other pizza chains. I was kind of surprised to find out that they were actually even still around a couple years ago.
At least it's been immortalized by Weird Paul Petroskey:
https://youtu.be/BRF5a4eVvjg
Dang. Now I have Chuck E's In Love, by Rickie Lee Jones, stuck in my head.
My high school workplace. May it never return.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 26, 2020, 11:31:54 AM
Chuck E Cheese was great in the heyday of the coin-op arcades ...
Ahh, arcade games...
Quote from: kphoger on October 08, 2012, 12:05:37 PM
Go ahead and whack that toddler! From Chuck E. Cheese's
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1092.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi410%2Fkphoger%2Ftoddlerwhac.png&hash=163ed229a7039133fda13d502f74afc350203ed0)
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/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/26/chuck-e-cheese-store-closings-list-chapter-11-bankruptcy/3262669001/)
I went there once when I was little, it's nothing special.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 03:38:07 PM
I went there once when I was little, it's nothing special.
There was once a time, when it was something special (at least a Showbiz Pizza), back in the 1980s. Then, it was a place where there was an animatronic band in the main dining area, skeeball (which they apparently still have), and a bunch of arcade games that didn't dispense tickets. Sometime in the later 1980s, it started to change from a Dave and Buster's/Gameworks for kids to the kiddie casino it is now.
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2020, 03:44:59 PM
skeeball
If you get invited to a child's birthday party at one, that right there is reason enough to go. Skee-Ball is awesome.
Quote from: Rushmeister on June 26, 2020, 01:06:03 PM
Dang. Now I have Chuck E's In Love, by Rickie Lee Jones, stuck in my head.
Spoof it as "Chuck E's in Debt". :)
Did Chuck E. Cheese's ever make tokens dated 2020? I have a feeling that they could be worth a decent amount like 2009 dimes and nickels are.
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2020, 03:44:59 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 03:38:07 PM
I went there once when I was little, it's nothing special.
There was once a time, when it was something special (at least a Showbiz Pizza), back in the 1980s. Then, it was a place where there was an animatronic band in the main dining area, skeeball (which they apparently still have), and a bunch of arcade games that didn't dispense tickets. Sometime in the later 1980s, it started to change from a Dave and Buster's/Gameworks for kids to the kiddie casino it is now.
Chuck E's Simpsonland counterpart was/is Wall E. Weasel's ("We Shove Fun Down Your Throat ").
Quote from: ixnay on June 26, 2020, 04:54:31 PM
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2020, 03:44:59 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 03:38:07 PM
I went there once when I was little, it's nothing special.
There was once a time, when it was something special (at least a Showbiz Pizza), back in the 1980s. Then, it was a place where there was an animatronic band in the main dining area, skeeball (which they apparently still have), and a bunch of arcade games that didn't dispense tickets. Sometime in the later 1980s, it started to change from a Dave and Buster's/Gameworks for kids to the kiddie casino it is now.
Chuck E's Simpsonland counterpart was/is Wall E. Weasel's ("We Shove Fun Down Your Throat ").
They have this game where you put in a dollah, and you win four quarters! I win every time! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ouCTfoJPY)
I remember Showbiz Pizza before they were all converted to CEC.
Quote from: LM117 on June 26, 2020, 02:35:13 PM
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/ (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.
Quote from: Big John on June 27, 2020, 12:01:29 AM
I remember Showbiz Pizza before they were all converted to CEC.
Apparently Show Biz Pizza bought Chuckie E. Cheese when it went bankrupt and eventually converted all it's locations to one brand.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 29, 2020, 07:45:32 AM
Quote from: Big John on June 27, 2020, 12:01:29 AM
I remember Showbiz Pizza before they were all converted to CEC.
Apparently Show Biz Pizza bought Chuckie E. Cheese when it went bankrupt and eventually converted all it's locations to one brand.
Yeah that's kind of right, but I think Chuck E. Cheese was just the largest franchisee while Showbiz was all company owned. They were the same concept. Or something like that.
Quote from: SEWIGuy on June 29, 2020, 08:32:32 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 29, 2020, 07:45:32 AM
Quote from: Big John on June 27, 2020, 12:01:29 AM
I remember Showbiz Pizza before they were all converted to CEC.
Apparently Show Biz Pizza bought Chuckie E. Cheese when it went bankrupt and eventually converted all it's locations to one brand.
Yeah that's kind of right, but I think Chuck E. Cheese was just the largest franchisee while Showbiz was all company owned. They were the same concept. Or something like that.
Company Man just did a video regarding the topic, it's kind of a complicated early history:
Cool. Thanks. I like his stuff so that will be interesting to watch.
Quote from: mgk920 on June 29, 2020, 01:07:05 AM
Quote from: LM117 on June 26, 2020, 02:35:13 PM
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/ (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.
From the article, which includes Appleton.
QuoteHere's the full list of Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza leases that CEC Entertainment has requested court permission to reject:
California
-Ladera Heights
-San Bernardino
-El Monte
-Long Beach
-Diamond Bar
Colorado
-Grand Junction
-Fort Collins
Florida
-Green Acres
-Miami Gardens
-North Lauderdale
-Miami
Georgia
-Macon
Illinois
-Chicago-Matteson
-Vernon Hills
Iowa
-Sioux City
Maryland
-Gaithersburg
Massachusetts
-Springfield
-Natick
-Leominster
-Danvers
Michigan
-Muskegon
Minnesota
-Rochester
Missouri
-Columbia
Nebraska
-Lincoln
Nevada
-Las Vegas-McCarran
-Las Vegas-Saraha
New Mexico
-Alb-Juan Tabo
New York
-New Hartford
-Harlem
North Carolina
-Jacksonville
Ohio
-Columbus-Macsway
-Mansfield
-Lima
Oklahoma
-Oklahoma City-Del City
-Oklahoma City-Westgate
-Moore
Pennsylvania
-Johnstown
-Lancaster
South Carolina
-Charleston
South Dakota
-Rapid City
Texas
-Allen
-Mesquite
Utah
-Layton
Virginia
-Fredericksburg
Wisconsin
-Appleton
Their former Appleton, WI outlet. A pretty forgettable location and building.
https://goo.gl/maps/iEeWjYZdoPJkidry6
Mike
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.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on June 29, 2020, 01:10:40 PM
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.
Quote from: mgk920 on June 29, 2020, 01:07:05 AM
Quote from: LM117 on June 26, 2020, 02:35:13 PM
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/ (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.
CEC in Troy, MI is in a former Gateway Computer store. (Remember them?)
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on June 29, 2020, 01:10:40 PM
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. :no:
I went home hungry both times. I never ever want to go back, covid or no.
Went once and never liked it
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".
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.
Quote from: kkt on July 08, 2020, 05:34:50 PM
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.
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.
It was pretty lousy even when it was hot. Tomato sauce out of a can, cheap brand. Chewy and not flavorful crust, ditto cheese.
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.
It was way better when it was ShowBiz Pizza.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 06:30:37 PM
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!
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 08, 2020, 08:58:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 06:30:37 PM
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?
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 08, 2020, 08:58:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 06:30:37 PM
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 (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/local-restaurant-on-delivery-app-actually-chuck-e-cheese-pasquallys). You can maybe still find it there, unless they took it down when people wised up to their scheme.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 09:42:53 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 08, 2020, 08:58:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 06:30:37 PM
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 (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/local-restaurant-on-delivery-app-actually-chuck-e-cheese-pasquallys). 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.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 10:10:46 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 09:42:53 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 08, 2020, 08:58:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2020, 06:30:37 PM
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 (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/local-restaurant-on-delivery-app-actually-chuck-e-cheese-pasquallys). 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?
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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.
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 08:23:31 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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.
Quote from: SectorZ on July 09, 2020, 10:02:03 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 08:23:31 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 10:13:39 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 09, 2020, 10:02:03 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 08:23:31 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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.
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 09, 2020, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 10:13:39 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 09, 2020, 10:02:03 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 08:23:31 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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.
Best pizza ever is Buddy's on Conant and McNichols (Six Mile Road) in Detroit.
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 10:17:16 AM
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.
How can they possibly drive in that costume? Even with the head off it is very clumsy. Also, if the costume is not cleaned as it should be, it is best to keep the windows open. If Chuck E. Cheese offered catering, they would give the mouse a chauffeur. This reduces the amount of unemployed people, but at the same time Chuck E. Cheese would need many more mice costumes. They often have difficulty maintaining the costumes they all ready have.
Unfortunately, after reading about the terrible hygiene of the children (such as mentioned in this thread as eating and playing the games with out washing their hands) , the pizzas being the worst, and even if they are not the worst ... they still tend to put uneaten slices back together and resold, numerous fights, and the filthy slides, and filthy ball pits.
... If they dual brand as Pasqually's, start catering, or both, ... they still have the history and perhaps the reputation of endless horrors.
It is best to let Chuck E. Cheese go, ... but at the very least keep "Chuck. E. Cheese Catering" completely separate from Pasqually's. So they seem to all ready be competing with pizza chains. They could do well as a pizza chain, but I would not order a "Pasqually's" Pizza from the same place that is still or even was a Chuck E. Cheese. I would not be surprised if Chuck E. Cheese lowers the property values.
"Chuck E. Cheese: The Place Where A Kid Can Catch A Cold.".
Time for me to watch Dexter's Laboratory.
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 09, 2020, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 10:13:39 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 09, 2020, 10:02:03 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 08:23:31 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 08, 2020, 09:35:44 PM
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'll second that. I grew up in the Scranton area and after I left the Air Force I lived in Philadelphia for over twenty years. I live now not far from it. When it comes to good pizza here it's an embarrassment of riches.
I joke that when I was in the Air Force, at some of the places I was stationed (I'm looking at
you, Alamogordo, NM!) I might not have survived were it not for Domino's. Excepting the two CEC parties, though, I haven't eaten chain pizza since.
(Well there was that one time five years ago when my daughter dragged me into a Pizza Hut because she was curious about it, but we won't talk about that.)
Edited for clarity.
Bleecker Street Pizza in Greenwich Village, New York.
You guys must really hate these places to be mentioning them in a Chuck E. Cheese thread...
Quote from: kkt on July 10, 2020, 12:35:22 AM
Bleecker Street Pizza in Greenwich Village, New York.
I ate at John's Pizza on Bleecker Street several years ago.
Quote from: In_Correct on July 09, 2020, 09:52:47 PM
Unfortunately, after reading about the terrible hygiene of the children (such as mentioned in this thread as eating and playing the games with out washing their hands) ... "Chuck E. Cheese: The Place Where A Kid Can Catch A Cold.".
Wow, you didn't realize until recently that children are unsanitary?
Quote from: In_Correct on July 09, 2020, 09:52:47 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 09, 2020, 10:17:16 AM
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.
How can they possibly drive in that costume? Even with the head off it is very clumsy. Also, if the costume is not cleaned as it should be, it is best to keep the windows open. If Chuck E. Cheese offered catering, they would give the mouse a chauffeur. This reduces the amount of unemployed people, but at the same time Chuck E. Cheese would need many more mice costumes. They often have difficulty maintaining the costumes they all ready have.
I don't know. I guess they'd have to modify the design a bit and produce enough so each delivery person could have their own while employed. Maybe that would be too expensive to do realistically.
Quotethey still tend to put uneaten slices back together and resold
Did that ever actually happen?
South Park predicted the end of Chuck E. Cheese.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjLhkk3j_LA