Bushra Griffith
Chuck E. Cheese is a well-known children's pizza restaurant and arcade chain with over 460 locations across the United States. The chain has been the subject of a conspiracy theory by YouTuber Shane Dawson, who alleged that the restaurant reuses uneaten pizza slices to serve as whole pizzas to customers. Dawson's video, which has garnered over 18 million views, claims that the pizzas at Chuck E. Cheese are misshapen and that the cut marks don't add up, suggesting that they are made from pieced-together slices. However, the company has vehemently denied these claims, stating that their pizzas are made to order with fresh dough, resulting in non-uniform shapes. Despite the conspiracy theory, Chuck E. Cheese remains a popular destination for kids' birthday parties and family entertainment, with the company investing $350 million to remodel its locations and expand its offerings to cater to a wider range of customers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Conspiracy Theorist | Shane Dawson |
| Number of subscribers | 20 million |
| Conspiracy | Chuck E. Cheese takes pieces of pizza that go uneaten and puts them together to serve as whole pizzas to customers |
| Evidence | Each pizza is misshapen and the cut marks don't add up |
| Number of views | 18 million |
| Other conspiracies | Two other conspiracies were included in the video |
| Response from Chuck E. Cheese | "The claims made in this video about Chuck E. Cheese's and our pizza are unequivocally false. No conspiracies here – our pizzas are made to order and we prepare our dough fresh in the restaurant, which means that they’re not always perfectly uniform in shape, but always delicious." |
| Inspection | Chuck E. Cheese's last inspection in January 2023 found no evidence of recycled pizza |
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What You'll Learn
YouTuber Shane Dawson's conspiracy theory
YouTuber Shane Dawson has gained popularity for his conspiracy theory videos, with his channel accumulating over 4 billion views. In 2019, Dawson posted a video titled "Investigating Conspiracies with Shane Dawson", in which he discussed the theory that Chuck E. Cheese recycles leftover pizza slices to create new pizzas. Dawson and his friends ordered several pizzas at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, and they were surprised to find that the pizza was misshapen, with the crusts misaligned. This, they claimed, was evidence that the pizza slices were formed from different pizzas, and had been put together to create a new one.
The theory gained a lot of attention, with many social media users taking it as fact and demanding an explanation from the franchise. However, Dawson's theory had several flaws. Firstly, despite the crust being misaligned, the pizza was cooked evenly throughout, which wouldn't be the case if it were made from different pizzas. Secondly, it's unlikely that enough untouched pizza slices are left behind by customers for Chuck E. Cheese to routinely form whole new pizzas. In addition, former employees and a manager of Chuck E. Cheese responded to Dawson's theory, explaining that the reason for the disproportionate slices is that they are cut much earlier in the process, and by the time they are served, they may have moved around and look uneven.
Despite these rebuttals, Dawson's video received over 18 million views, and the conspiracy theory was so widely believed that Chuck E. Cheese was forced to release an official statement: "The claims made in this video about Chuck E. Cheese's and our pizza are unequivocally false. No conspiracies here — our pizzas are made to order, and we prepare our dough fresh in our restaurant, which means that they’re not always perfectly uniform in shape, but always delicious."
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Chuck E. Cheese's denial
Popular YouTuber Shane Dawson, with over 20 million subscribers, released a conspiracy theory video claiming that Chuck E. Cheese takes pieces of pizza that are left uneaten and uses them to create new pizzas for customers. Dawson's theory is based on the observation that the pizzas served at Chuck E. Cheese are often misshapen and have cut marks that don't seem to match.
However, Chuck E. Cheese has vehemently denied these claims. Christelle Dupont, manager of PR and Corporate Communications at CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, released a statement refuting the allegations: "The claims made in this video about Chuck E. Cheese's and our pizza are unequivocally false. No conspiracies here—our pizzas are made to order, and we prepare our dough fresh in the restaurant, which means that they're not always perfectly uniform in shape but always delicious."
Trisha York, senior manager of Knoxville's Chuck E. Cheese store, also denied the allegations, stating that they have never recycled pizzas and that their pizzas are made fresh to order. She added that health and sanitation are a priority at Chuck E. Cheese, with regular deep cleanings of the play area and the use of a "green" sanitizing spray.
In addition to the statements from the company, health inspections at Chuck E. Cheese have not found any evidence of recycled pizza. While there were some initial violations involving food temperature and missing preparation dates, these issues were quickly addressed, and no violations involved recycled pizza.
Chuck E. Cheese has been facing challenges in recent years, including bankruptcy filings in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has since invested $350 million to remodel its over 460 U.S. locations, launch new games, and update its food menu to include more "grown-up" options. They have also introduced a membership program with different tiers offering unlimited visits, discounts, and other perks.
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Health inspection
In 2019, a Chuck E. Cheese location in Lynnwood experienced a shutdown due to health code violations. The Snohomish Health District took this action after eight people reported gastrointestinal illnesses following their visits to the restaurant. During their inspection, health officials identified several health code violations, including hand-washing concerns, lack of hot water, and missing food worker cards for employees. This incident highlights the importance of health inspections in ensuring the safety and well-being of customers.
Another notable health inspection of Chuck E. Cheese was conducted by Seattle and King County's health department in May 2017. The location in Bellevue received a "Good" rating for food safety, indicating that they met the minimum standards for food safety practices. The rating system implemented by the health department uses emojis displayed in restaurant windows to provide customers with information about food safety performance.
While Chuck E. Cheese has faced scrutiny for alleged food safety issues, it is important to note that they have also taken steps to address these concerns. In response to the shutdown in Lynnwood, the company cooperated with health officials and conducted a thorough cleaning of the restaurant, including toys, balls in the ball pit, tables, chairs, and napkin dispensers. This proactive approach demonstrates their commitment to improving health and safety standards.
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The chain's bankruptcy
Chuck E. Cheese, the nearly 50-year-old children's pizza restaurant/arcade chain, filed for bankruptcy in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit brick-and-mortar businesses. The company avoided mass store closures by using idle kitchens to prepare food for delivery under the name Pasqually's Pizza & Wings. The chain also launched a membership program in August 2024, which has since sold 200,000 12-month subscriptions with three tiers ranging from $7.99 to $29.99 a month. The memberships offer unlimited visits, discounts, and other perks to encourage "active play".
The company also invested $350 million to remodel its over 460 US locations, launch a new slate of games, and tweak its food offerings. The restaurants now feature more modern amenities, such as interactive dance floors, video walls, new arcade games, and trampoline zones. The chain has also revamped its play spaces to include trampolines and obstacle courses, creating an "adventure zone" in every location. The food menu has been refreshed with more "grown-up" options, including spicier items to cater to a wider range of palates.
The bankruptcy and rebranding of Chuck E. Cheese come after the company faced a conspiracy theory in 2019, when YouTuber Shane Dawson, with over 20 million subscribers, released a video claiming that the chain takes pieces of pizza that go uneaten and puts them together to serve as whole pizzas to customers. The company denied these claims, stating that their pizzas are made to order with fresh dough, which results in shapes that are not always perfectly uniform.
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The chain's rebrand
In 2020, CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, filed for bankruptcy. This was likely due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on brick-and-mortar businesses. The company avoided mass store closures by using idle kitchens to prepare food for delivery under the name Pasqually's Pizza & Wings.
In 2023, CEC Entertainment announced a major rebrand, which included plans to remove the animatronic figures from all of its 470 locations, except for a "permanent residency" in Northridge, California. The move was part of an initiative to outfit the restaurants with more modern amenities, such as an interactive dance floor, a video wall, new arcade games, and trampoline zones in select "fun centers." The company also unveiled plans to refresh its food menu with more "grown-up" options, including items that cater to "a little bit spicier palate."
The chain launched a membership program in August 2024, with three tiers ranging from $7.99 to $29.99 per month. Annual "Fun Pass" holders get unlimited visits, discounts on food and attractions, and other perks to encourage "active play." Chuck E. Cheese invested $350 million to remodel its over 460 US locations, launch a new slate of games, and tweak its food offerings. The company hopes that the revamped pizzeria-arcade experience will attract customers back to its locations, competing with other subscriptions and entertainment options.
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Frequently asked questions
YouTuber Shane Dawson, with over 20 million subscribers, released a conspiracy theory video claiming that Chuck E. Cheese takes pieces of pizza that go uneaten and puts them together to serve as whole pizzas to customers.
Dawson shows that each pizza is misshapen and the cut marks don't add up, indicating that they are made from different pizzas. He also tries to confirm the conspiracy by ordering pizza at Chuck E. Cheese and is served a misshapen pizza with pieces that don't connect correctly.
A spokesperson for Chuck E. Cheese has denied the claims, stating that their "pizzas are made to order and [they] prepare [their] dough fresh in [their] restaurant, which means that they’re not always perfectly uniform in shape, but always delicious."
No. Local Chuck E. Cheese staff and the Knox County Health Department have stated that they have never "recycled" pizzas and that they make them fresh to order. Health inspections at Chuck E. Cheese have also not found any violations related to recycled pizza.
Chuck E. Cheese has recently invested $350 million to remodel its over 460 US locations, launch a new slate of games, and tweak its food offerings to include more "grown-up" options. They have also launched a membership program with three tiers ranging from $7.99 to $29.99 a month, offering unlimited visits, discounts, and other perks.
