Shane's Lawsuit: Chuck E. Cheese's Fight For Rights

In the second instalment of his Conspiracy Series, YouTuber Shane Dawson alleged that entertainment centre and restaurant chain Chuck E. Cheese recycles its leftover pizza slices into new pies for customers. The video, which amassed 14 million views in two days, saw Dawson and his friends order a pizza at Chuck E. Cheese and receive a deformed pizza, seemingly confirming his theory. However, Chuck E. Cheese has refuted these claims, stating that their pizzas are made to order and that any inconsistencies in shape are due to the dough being prepared fresh in the restaurant. Dawson has not responded to the company's statement but noted in his video that it was just a theory and he did not want to be sued.

Shane Dawson's conspiracy theory about Chuck E. Cheese's pizza

In 2019, YouTuber Shane Dawson posted a video titled "Investigating Conspiracies with Shane Dawson" in which he discussed a conspiracy theory about Chuck E. Cheese's pizza. The theory, which Dawson acknowledged was not his own creation, alleged that the restaurant chain recycles leftover pizza slices by baking them into new pies for other customers.

In the video, Dawson presents a photo of a pizza with slices of differing sizes as evidence of his claim. He and his friends then order a pizza from Chuck E. Cheese's, which arrives misshapen, with the crust misaligned. Dawson claims that the pie looks like it was not made as one but thrown together in pieces. He also points out that the pepperonis are misaligned, and he is unable to get a rocker blade to line up with the pizza slices' proportions.

The video garnered 14 million views in two days and caught the attention of Chuck E. Cheese's, who refuted the theory. A spokesperson for the company told People:

> "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."

Despite the statement from Chuck E. Cheese's, Dawson's video sparked a wave of similar videos from other YouTubers, who noticed the same issue with the pizza slices. However, this has been attributed to the fact that Chuck E. Cheese's cuts their pizzas earlier in the process, and by the time they are served, they may look uneven due to being moved around. Additionally, a former employee explained that the kitchen staff sometimes messes up the cutting process, resulting in uneven slices.

Chuck E. Cheese's response to the conspiracy theory

Chuck E. Cheese has responded to Shane Dawson's conspiracy theory, which alleges that the company recycles its uneaten pizza slices by baking them into new pies for customers. In a statement to People, a spokesperson for Chuck E. Cheese refuted the claim, stating that "the claims made in this video about Chuck E. Cheese and our pizza are unequivocally false." The spokesperson added that their pizzas are made to order and that the dough is prepared fresh in the restaurant, which sometimes results in slightly uneven shapes but always guarantees deliciousness.

The company's response directly contradicts Dawson's theory, which gained traction with 14 million views in just two days. In the video, Dawson presents a photo of a pizza with differently sized slices as evidence and conducts an investigation with friends, ordering a pizza that arrives misshapen. Additionally, Dawson mentions a friend who worked at Chuck E. Cheese in high school and confirmed the theory.

Despite Dawson's claims and the popularity of his video, Chuck E. Cheese firmly denies the allegations of pizza recycling. The company emphasizes that their pizzas are freshly prepared and made-to-order, addressing customers' concerns and reaffirming their commitment to food quality and safety.

This incident highlights the impact of social media and influencers like Shane Dawson, whose videos can shape public perception and affect brands. Chuck E. Cheese's swift and clear response aims to reassure customers and protect their reputation, demonstrating the importance of proactive communication in today's digital age.

The conspiracy theory video also mentions Chuck E. Cheese's history of lawsuits involving promoting gambling to young children. While the company has not specifically addressed this part of the video, they have previously faced legal issues related to their gaming and entertainment offerings.

Chuck E. Cheese is taking steps to evolve and stay relevant, introducing trampolines, subscription programs, and menu upgrades. These changes aim to attract new generations of children and their parents, moving away from their traditional animatronics and focusing on active play and digital entertainment.

Chuck E. Cheese's history of lawsuits

Chuck E. Cheese has been involved in several lawsuits over the years. One notable lawsuit was filed against the company in 2019 by Shane Dawson, a YouTuber who alleged that the company recycled its uneaten pizza slices by baking them into new pies for other customers. Dawson's video, which garnered 14 million views in two days, showed a photo of a pizza with differing slice sizes as evidence. However, Chuck E. Cheese refuted these claims, stating that their pizzas are made to order with fresh dough, which may result in slight variations in shape but not in taste.

In addition to this, Chuck E. Cheese has also faced legal trouble for allegedly promoting gambling to young children. The company has also undergone financial troubles, with its parent company CEC Entertainment filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. CEC Entertainment emerged from bankruptcy with new leadership and freed from about $705 million in debt. The company has since been working on reintroducing customers to the brand and attracting new generations of children and their parents.

Despite these challenges, Chuck E. Cheese has been a staple of many childhoods since its founding in 1977 by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell. With its pizza, birthday parties, and animatronic mouse mascot, it has created memorable experiences for countless children. The company has also been working on expanding its brand beyond its restaurants, exploring entertainment partnerships and seeking to make its mouse mascot a starring character.

The history of Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese, the place "Where A Kid Can Be A Kid", is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded on 17 May 1977 by Atari, Inc.'s co-founder Nolan Bushnell. 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.

The first location, known as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, opened in San Jose, California, in 1977. It was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment, becoming a pioneer of the "family entertainment centre" concept. The restaurant offered pizza, animatronic entertainment, and an indoor arcade.

Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre was founded by Bushnell, who sought to expand video-game arcades beyond adult-oriented locations such as pool halls and into family-friendly venues. His experience in the amusement park industry and his fondness for the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland influenced his concept. Bushnell has said:

> "It was my pet project... I chose pizza because of the wait time and the build schedule—very few components, and not too many ways to screw it up."

Prior to 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. Dabney said:

> "Chuck E. Cheese was always his (Nolan's) passion project, even before Atari was a thing... He wanted to start a business of family-friendly restaurants with amusement park midway games."

The chain has since expanded internationally, with locations in Guatemala, Australia, Chile, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Trinidad and Tobago, and Egypt, among others.

Over the years, the Chuck E. Cheese concept has undergone several changes. In the 1990s, the character Chuck E. Cheese was redesigned to appeal to a younger audience, adopting a baseball cap, a casual shirt, and sneakers. In 2012, the mascot was rebranded as a slimmer rockstar mouse who plays electric guitar.

In 2014, Apollo Global Management acquired CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, for about $950 million. In 2017, the company began piloting a new design concept at seven remodelled locations, branded as Chuck E. Cheese Pizzeria & Games. These locations featured more upscale decor, an open kitchen, and the replacement of arcade tokens with a "Play Pass" card system. The animatronic stage show was also replaced by a dance floor area.

In 2020, CEC Entertainment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company emerged from bankruptcy later that year under new ownership and having shed about $705 million in debt.

As of 2025, Chuck E. Cheese has about 470 locations in the United States, down from 537 in 2019. The chain has also eliminated animatronics, introducing trampolines, a mobile app, and floor-to-ceiling JumboTrons instead.

Chuck E. Cheese's mascot

Chuck E. Cheese, or Charles Entertainment Cheese, is the main character and mascot of the Chuck E. Cheese chain of family entertainment centres. The character was created in 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. Bushnell bought a coyote costume at a conference, but when it arrived, he realised it was actually a rat costume. He changed the name of his planned restaurant from Coyote Pizza to Rick Rat's Pizza. However, Bushnell's team thought a rat wouldn't be appropriate for a restaurant, so they settled on the name Chuck E. Cheese.

From 1977 to 1992, Chuck E. Cheese was an anthropomorphic rat. In 1993, he was changed to a mouse. The character has had several redesigns over the years, including a child-friendly version in 1995, a rockstar version in 2012, and an Avenger version in 1997. The rockstar version of the character was more energetic and played an electric guitar. The most recent version of the character is known as Rockstar Chuck.

The character has been voiced by several actors over the years, including John Widelock, Scott Wilson, Lonny Wilder, Duncan Brannan, and Jaret Reddick.

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