The Ubiquitous Chuck E. Cheese: How Many Locations?

Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded in 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari, Inc. The chain is headquartered in Irving, Texas, and offers arcade games, amusement rides, musical shows, pizza, and other food items. As of January 17, 2024, there were 470 Chuck E. Cheese stores in the United States, with California having the highest number of locations at 75 stores. The company also has a presence in other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. In total, there are approximately 465 Chuck E. Cheese locations in the United States and Canada, with 96 franchised locations worldwide.

Locations in the US

Chuck E. Cheese, the American entertainment restaurant chain, has a large number of locations across the United States. As of January 17, 2024, there were 470 Chuck E. Cheese stores in the country.

The state with the highest number of Chuck E. Cheese locations is California, with 75 stores, accounting for about 16% of all stores in the US. Texas comes in second with about 13% of the total number of stores, followed by Florida with about 7%.

Chuck E. Cheese has a presence in 44 states and territories across the US. The states and territories without any Chuck E. Cheese stores include the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The company's locations can be found in major cities such as Glendale, Arizona; Valley Stream, New York; Anchorage, Alaska; Sheffield, Alabama; and Birmingham, Alabama.

The first Chuck E. Cheese location opened in San Jose, California, in 1977, and it was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment. The company's headquarters are in Irving, Texas.

Over the years, Chuck E. Cheese has expanded and contracted its locations across the US. For example, a location in Mobile, Alabama, opened in February 1982 and closed in February 1984. Similarly, a location in Montgomery, Alabama, opened in November 1982 and closed in September 1984.

As of 2024, Chuck E. Cheese owns and operates approximately 465 locations in the US, with an additional 96 franchised locations. The company continues to expand and remodel its locations, offering new features such as trampoline zones and dance floors.

Locations outside the US

Chuck E. Cheese (formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre) is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded in 1977. The chain has since expanded internationally, with locations outside the US including:

Australia

The first international franchise of Chuck E. Cheese opened in Australia in 1981 under the name Charlie Cheese's Pizza Playhouse. The change in name was due to the common meaning of the word "chuck" in Australia, which refers to the phrase "to throw up". The first location, in Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, relocated in 1982 to Carina, Queensland. In December 2024, it was announced that Chuck E. Cheese would be returning to Australia with a multi-unit franchise partnership with Royale Hospitality Group.

Puerto Rico

Two locations in Puerto Rico were opened in 1983, one in San Juan, Condado, and one in the Santa Rosa Mall in Bayamón. Both stores were short-lived, closing by the end of 1985. Three new locations opened between 2003 and 2008.

Chile

The first new international location to open after the formation of ShowBiz Pizza Time in 1985 was in Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile, in 1994. As of 2023, there are 13 total stores in the country.

Saudi Arabia

Locations in Saudi Arabia began opening in 2001.

United Arab Emirates

Locations in the United Arab Emirates started opening in 2008.

Jordan

A location in Jordan opened in 2019.

Bahrain

A location in Bahrain opened in 2021.

Qatar

A location in Qatar opened in 2022.

Kuwait

A location in Kuwait opened in 2024.

Trinidad & Tobago

There are currently three locations in Trinidad & Tobago, with one in Chaguanas (opened in 2014), one in San Fernando (opened in 2016, closed in January 2023), and one in Port of Spain (opened in 2023).

Egypt

In February 2024, the first Chuck E. Cheese in Egypt opened in Sheik Zayed's Royal Mall.

Canada

There is one location in British Columbia, Canada, as of 2025.

History of Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese, the American entertainment restaurant chain, was founded on May 17, 1977, by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari, Inc. The first location, called Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, opened in San Jose, California, and was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment, pioneering the "family entertainment centre" concept. The chain's name is taken from its main character and mascot, Chuck E. Cheese, a mouse (formerly a rat) who is the lead singer and guitarist of the band.

Before founding Atari, Bushnell would drive around the Bay Area with Atari co-founder Ted Dabney, looking at different pizza parlours and restaurants to brainstorm concepts. "Chuck E. Cheese was always his (Nolan's) passion project, even before Atari was a thing," said Dabney.

When his first animatronic show was being assembled, Bushnell learned that the costume he had bought for his main character, a coyote, was actually a rat. This prompted him to suggest changing the name from "Coyote Pizza" to "Rick Rat's Pizza". His marketing team believed this name would not be appealing to customers and proposed "Chuck E. Cheese" instead. The company adopted the rat as their mascot.

In 1978, when Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications, refused to open additional locations, Bushnell purchased the rights to the concept and characters from Warner for $500,000. By the end of December 1979, there were seven Pizza Time Theatre locations, six in California and one in Nevada.

To expand beyond California and the west coast, Bushnell began to franchise, resulting in a co-development agreement with Robert Brock of Topeka Inn Management in June 1979. This agreement handed Brock exclusive franchising rights for opening Pizza Time Theatres in sixteen states across the Southern and Midwestern United States.

In December 1979, Brock formed ShowBiz Pizza Place Inc. with Aaron Fechter of Creative Engineering, Inc., and his work in animatronics. 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 a breach of contract. Brock counter-sued, citing misrepresentation. The court case began in March 1980, and the courts ruled in favour of Bushnell after he successfully argued that ShowBiz was imitating his unique concepts. The ruling forced Brock to pay Bushnell a percentage of annual revenues from the first 160 locations he opened.

Both restaurants experienced increased success as the video game industry became more robust. To maintain competition, both franchises continually modified and diversified their animatronic shows.

Pizza Time Theatre went public in 1981. However, the company placed more attention on the video game aspect of the business, but the popularity of arcades began to decline in the United States. As a result, Chuck E. Cheese revenues started to fall by the end of 1982. The video game market crashed in 1983, and by the middle of the year, Pizza Time was operating at a loss. Bushnell's debts became insurmountable, and Pizza Time Theatre Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 28, 1984, reporting a loss of $58 million incurred in 1983.

The struggling company was purchased by Brock in May 1985, merging the two restaurant companies into ShowBiz Pizza Time Inc. Both restaurant chains continued to operate under their respective titles, while major financial restructuring began.

In January 1989, ShowBiz Pizza Time became a public company, trading on Nasdaq with the ticker symbol SHBZ. Beginning in June 1990, ShowBiz restaurants began converting their stage shows and rebranding their storefronts to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. By 1994, all ShowBiz restaurants had been rebranded into Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants, and the name was shortened to Chuck E. Cheese's in March 1994 after a redesigned concept.

During the mid-1990s, the character Chuck E. Cheese began to see significant design changes. His vest (or tuxedo suit) and derby hat were changed for a baseball cap, casual shirt, and optional sneakers in an attempt to appeal to a younger audience.

In 1998, ShowBiz Pizza Time renamed itself CEC Entertainment, Inc. to reflect the remaining chain brand. As of October 2024, CEC Entertainment owns and operates approximately 465 Chuck E. Cheese locations in the United States and Canada, with 96 franchised locations in the US, Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide.

Chuck E. Cheese's mascot

Chuck E. Cheese, the main character and mascot of the American entertainment restaurant chain, is a mouse (formerly a rat) who is the lead singer and guitarist of the band. He is described as outgoing, friendly, and loves to sing and entertain families. The character was first introduced in 1977 when the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre opened in San Jose, California. The restaurant chain was founded by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari, Inc., who sought to expand video-game arcades beyond adult-only locations and into family-friendly venues.

The choice of a rat as the mascot for Chuck E. Cheese was actually a mistake. Bushnell had purchased a costume for a coyote to represent his main character. However, he later learned that the costume he had bought was actually a rat, which prompted him to change the name from "Coyote Pizza" to "Rick Rat's Pizza." His marketing team believed that this name would not appeal to customers, so they proposed Chuck E. Cheese instead.

Over the years, the design of Chuck E. Cheese has undergone significant changes. In the mid-1990s, his vest (or tuxedo suit) and derby hat were replaced with a baseball cap, a casual shirt, and optional sneakers to appeal to a younger audience. By 2012, CEC was struggling financially and decided to rebrand Chuck E. Cheese again. This time, he became a slimmer rock star mouse who plays the electric guitar and wields a comically large mallet called "the Mouse Mallet." Voice actor Duncan Brannan, who had portrayed Chuck E. as a hip and young mouse for 18 years, was replaced by Jaret Reddick, the frontman and guitarist for the pop-punk band Bowling for Soup.

As of 2024, there are approximately 465 Chuck E. Cheese locations in the United States and Canada, with 96 franchised locations in the US, Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. The company also owns and operates Fun Spot Arcade, a chain of mall arcades.

Games and activities available

Chuck E. Cheese, the American entertainment restaurant chain, offers a range of games and activities for children and families. Each location features arcade games, amusement rides, and musical shows, in addition to serving pizza and other food items. The chain was founded by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari Inc., and the first location opened in San Jose, California, in 1977.

Over the years, Chuck E. Cheese has offered a variety of games and activities, some of which have been discontinued, while others remain staples of the chain. Here is an overview of the games and activities available:

Arcade Games

Arcade games have been a staple of Chuck E. Cheese since its inception. The chain offers a wide variety of video games, from classic arcade games to modern releases. These games typically operate on a pay-per-play basis, using tokens or cards. Some popular arcade games at Chuck E. Cheese include racing games, sports games, shooting games, and redemption games.

Redemption games, also known as skill games, reward players with tickets based on their performance. Players can then redeem these tickets for prizes, such as candy, toys, or other small items. This adds an element of competition and encourages players to try different games to earn more tickets.

Amusement Rides

Chuck E. Cheese locations also feature amusement rides, providing a fun and exciting experience for children. These rides are typically designed for younger children and may include small roller coasters, carousels, bumper cars, or other similar attractions. The rides are usually coin-operated or require a set number of tickets to operate.

Musical Shows and Animatronics

Musical shows and animatronics have been a significant part of the Chuck E. Cheese experience. The chain's main character and mascot, Chuck E. Cheese, often takes centre stage in these performances. Over the years, the shows have evolved, featuring different characters and themes. In recent years, some locations have replaced the animatronics with costumed characters and interactive dance floors.

Former Mainstays

In the past, Chuck E. Cheese locations also offered additional attractions such as ball pits, crawl tubes, and interactive play areas. These features were particularly popular with younger children and provided a fun and engaging environment. However, these attractions have been phased out in recent years, as the chain has shifted its focus towards arcade games and amusement rides.

It is important to note that the specific games and activities available may vary depending on the location and the time of visit. Chuck E. Cheese continuously updates its offerings to provide new and exciting experiences for its customers. Additionally, the chain has expanded internationally, and the games and activities may differ slightly between countries to cater to local preferences and cultural norms.

Frequently asked questions