Chuck E. Cheese: Coyote Or Not?

Chuck E. Cheese, the mascot of the restaurant chain of the same name, was originally supposed to be a coyote. The character was created by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, who intended to open a restaurant called Coyote Pizza. However, when the costume he ordered arrived, it turned out to be a rat, so he changed the restaurant's name to Rick Rat's Pizza. Bushnell's planners believed that naming a restaurant after a rat might be off-putting to customers, so the name was changed to Chuck E. Cheese, and the restaurant became Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The first location opened in 1977 in San Jose, California.

Chuck E. Cheese was originally supposed to be a coyote

Chuck E. Cheese, the mascot of the family entertainment chain, was originally supposed to be a coyote. The character was created by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, in 1977. Bushnell had intended to open a restaurant called Coyote Pizza and purchased what he thought was a coyote costume at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando. However, when the costume arrived, it turned out to be a rat, leading Bushnell to rename the restaurant Rick Rat's Pizza.

The planners and marketing team advised Bushnell that naming a restaurant after a rat might not be appealing to customers, so the name was changed to Chuck E. Cheese, and the restaurant became Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The name "Chuck E. Cheese" was chosen for its alliteration with Disney's Mickey Mouse and its appeal as a "three-smile name." The first location opened in 1977 in San Jose, California, at 370 South Winchester Boulevard.

The rat mascot was originally given a New Jersey accent and would tell jokes—occasionally holding a cigar, although it was retired during the Great American Smokeout in 1980. The character underwent several redesigns over the years, transitioning from a rat to a mouse in 1993 and most recently adopting a rockstar theme in 2012.

Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, bought a coyote costume

Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, bought what he thought was a coyote costume at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando. Bushnell intended to open a restaurant called Coyote Pizza. However, upon delivery, he discovered that the costume was actually a rat, leading him to rename the restaurant Rick Rat's Pizza.

Bushnell had a passion for family-friendly restaurants with amusement park midway games even before Atari was founded. He 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 passion project.

Bushnell's planners believed that naming a restaurant after a rat might not be appealing, so the name was changed to Chuck E. Cheese, and the restaurant became Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The name "Chuck E. Cheese" was chosen for its alliteration with Disney's Mickey Mouse and its appeal as a "three-smile name". The company's PR agency was horrified that a dirty rat would be used as a restaurant mascot, but they thought it would be acceptable if they downplayed the rat theme and named the character something else.

The first location of Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre opened in 1977 in San Jose, California, the same year the character was proposed. It was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment, thus pioneering the "family entertainment centre" concept.

The costume turned out to be a rat

Bushnell had first spotted what he thought was a coyote costume at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando. He bought the costume for his planned Coyote Pizza restaurant. However, when the costume arrived at Atari, it became clear that it was actually a rat, with a long pink tail. This costume was also much larger and furrier than the final product seen in the original locations.

Bushnell's team of planners decided on the name Chuck E. Cheese for the mascot and changed the restaurant's name to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The first location opened in San Jose, California, in 1977, the same year that Chuck E. Cheese was proposed.

The rat mascot was originally given a New Jersey accent and would tell jokes—occasionally holding a cigar, although this was retired during the Great American Smokeout in 1980. The character's voice was delivered by John Widelock for the first seven years of its existence, and afterward by Scott Wilson.

In 1993, Duncan Brannan was hired as the new voice of the mascot, with the task of transforming him from a rat to a mouse. By 1995, the character was given a "child-friendly" redesign. This version of Chuck E. Cheese had a wider cheek structure, a less pointy and shorter snout, longer eyes, smaller ears, and a slimmer physique. The character began being characterised as a skateboarder in commercials starting in 1997, with this version of him beginning to appear in restaurants by 2004.

The name was changed to Rick Rat's Pizza

The name "Rick Rats Pizza" was proposed by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese. Bushnell had originally intended to open a restaurant called Coyote Pizza, but when the costume he ordered for his main character arrived, it turned out to be a rat, not a coyote. The costume was also much larger and furrier than expected. Bushnell decided to embrace the mistake and change the restaurant's name to Rick Rat's Pizza, with the main character being named Rick Rat.

However, Bushnell's marketing team and planners were concerned that having the word "rat" in the name of a restaurant would be off-putting to customers. They persuaded him to choose a different name, and eventually, the name "Chuck E. Cheese" was selected. The name was chosen for its alliteration with Disney's Mickey Mouse and because it was considered a "three-smile name"—the very act of saying it forces a smile onto the speaker's face. The name of the restaurant was then changed to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, and the first location opened in San Jose, California, in 1977.

While the name Rick Rats Pizza was scrapped, the rat costume was kept, and the character of Chuck E. Cheese was originally designed as an anthropomorphic rat. He had a pointy snout, a long tail, protruding teeth, and wore a red derby hat. Over the years, Chuck E. Cheese's design evolved, and he transitioned from a rat to a mouse in 1993.

The marketing team changed the name to Chuck E. Cheese

Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and the man behind Chuck E. Cheese, wanted to name the rat character Rick Rat and call the restaurant Rick Rat's Pizza. However, his marketing team believed that having "rat" in the name of a restaurant might be off-putting to potential customers. They persuaded Bushnell to change the name, and thus, Chuck E. Cheese was born.

The name "Chuck E. Cheese" was chosen for a few reasons. Firstly, it had alliteration with Disney's Mickey Mouse, which was appealing. Secondly, it was what some called a "three-smile name," meaning that just saying it forced a person's mouth to smile. Lastly, the name helped to soften the character's image, which had initially been conceived as a tough, cigar-smoking rat named Muggs McGinnis.

The decision to change the name to Chuck E. Cheese was a wise one, as it helped to create a friendly and approachable brand image. This, in turn, likely contributed to the success and longevity of the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain.

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