Chuck E. Cheese's Closest Locations: Find Your Nearest Fun!

Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain with arcade games, rides, and musical shows, in addition to serving pizza and other food items. The chain is headquartered in Irving, Texas, and was founded in 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari, Inc. The first location was opened in San Jose, California, and it was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment. The company's website allows users to search for locations by city, state, or ZIP code.

Locations with animatronics

Chuck E. Cheese (formerly Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre) 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, and musical shows, in addition to serving pizza and other food items. Each location used to feature animatronic shows, with the main character and mascot being Chuck E. Cheese, a rat. Other characters in the animatronic shows included Helen Henny, Mr. Munch, Jasper T. Jowls, and Pasqually P. Pieplate. Over the years, the designs of these animatronics have evolved, with some locations now featuring costumed characters instead.

As of May 2024, it was reported that animatronic shows would be phased out by the end of the year, with all but two venues discontinuing their performances. However, following a negative response from the public, the company announced that three additional locations would retain their animatronic stages, bringing the total to five. These locations are:

• Northridge, California – featuring a 2-Stage Cyberamics show.
• Nanuet, New York – featuring a Studio 'C' 2000, 16M stage.
• Charlotte, North Carolina – featuring a 3-Stage show.
• Hicksville, New York – featuring a Cyberamics 1-Stage show.
• Springfield, Illinois – featuring a CU 1-Stage show.

In addition to these five locations, there are a few other Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants that have been reported to have operational animatronics or animatronic stages as of 2023 and early 2024:

• Tallahassee, Florida – featuring the last 3-stage show in the state and one of the last remaining ones overall.
• Firestone, Norwalk, California – reported to have operating animatronics.
• Decatur, Alabama – reported to have a functioning animatronic.
• North Edmonton, Canada – reported to have one animatronic that randomly moves occasionally.
• South Edmonton, Canada – reported to have a Studio C Beta animatronic stage and scheduled for remodelling in 2024.
• Toronto, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada – featuring a 2-Stage show with unique costumes for the characters.
• St. Cloud and Maple Grove, Minnesota – reported to be the only locations in the state with animatronics.
• Novi, Michigan – reported to have active and working animatronics as of August 2023.
• Billings, Montana – reported to still have animatronics.
• Muncie, Indiana – reported to have a Studio C Beta stage.

Please note that the information regarding the operational status of animatronics in these locations may not be fully up to date, and the situation could have changed since the last reports. It is always a good idea to contact the specific location or check for recent updates before planning a visit.

Locations with trampolines

Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded in 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari, Inc. Each location features arcade games, amusement rides, and musical shows, in addition to serving pizza and other food items.

Chuck E. Cheese has been undergoing a modernisation programme since 2020, introducing digital entertainment features such as screens, digital dance floors, and trampoline gym areas. Trampoline Zones are now available at select locations, offering a secure and joyful space for younger guests under 56" tall to bounce and play.

• Alabama: Birmingham (Hwy 280), Birmingham (Old Town Rd.), Decatur, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa
• Arizona: Chandler, Goodyear, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma
• Arkansas: Jonesboro, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Rogers
• California: Bakersfield, Bell, Brentwood, Burbank, Cerritos, Chino, Citrus Heights, Concord, Corona, Costa Mesa, Covina, Cupertino, Dublin, El Centro, Elk Grove, Escondido, Fairfield, Fontana, Foothill Ranch, Fresno, Fresno (North), Garden Grove, Glendale, Gilroy, Hayward, Hemet, Huntington Beach, Laguna Hills, Lakewood, La Mirada, Lancaster, Lemon Grove, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Mira Mesa, Modesto, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, National City, Newark, Norwalk, Oceanside, Orange, Palm Desert, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pinole, Placentia, Rancho Cucamonga, Redwood City, Rohnert Park, Roseville, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Maria, Santee, Stevenson Ranch, Stockton, Sun Valley, Thousand Oaks, Torrance (Pacific), Torrance (Prairie), Ventura, Victorville, Visalia, Walnut Park, West Hills
• Colorado: Aurora, Colorado Springs (North), Colorado Springs (South), Englewood, Greeley, Lone Tree, Superior
• Connecticut: Manchester, Newington, Orange
• Florida: Altamonte Springs, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Bradenton, Brandon, Clearwater, Lakeland, Fort Myers, Hialeah, Jacksonville (Atlantic Blvd), Jacksonville (Orange Park), Jacksonville (Shops Lane), Kendall, Melbourne, Miami, Naples, North Miami, Ocala, Orlando (Colonial Dr), Orlando (International Dr), Orlando (N Alafaya Trail), Pembroke Pines, Pensacola, Pompano Beach, St. Petersburg, Stuart, Sunrise, Tallahassee, Tampa, Wesley Chapel, West Palm Beach
• Georgia: Albany, Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Conyers, Douglasville,

Chuck E. Cheese's history

Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded on 17 May 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, the co-founder of Atari. The first location opened as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, and was the first family restaurant to integrate food with arcade games and animated entertainment.

The chain's name is taken from its main character and mascot, Chuck E. Cheese. When Nolan Bushnell's first animatronic show was being assembled, he 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". However, 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.

The first location was a 5,000-square-foot former brokerage building and was the first restaurant of its kind – offering a combination of pizza, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. The most unique aspect of the Pizza Time Theatre was the animatronic show – life-sized animatronic critters placed in faux picture frames around the showroom that entertained guests throughout the day.

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 1979, there were seven PTT 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 1981, Chuck E. Cheese opened its first international franchise in Australia under the name Charlie Cheese's Pizza Playhouse. The name change was necessary because "chuck" means "to throw up" in Australian slang.

After filing for bankruptcy in 1984, the chain was acquired in 1985 by Brock Hotel Corporation, the parent company of competitor ShowBiz Pizza Place. The merger formed a new parent company, ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc., which began unifying the two brands in 1990, renaming every location Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. It was later shortened to Chuck E. Cheese's in 1994 and Chuck E. Cheese in 2019.

In 2012, CEC was struggling with decreasing revenue and ran a rebranding campaign, changing the Chuck E. Cheese mascot into a slimmer rock star mouse who plays electric guitar. In 2014, Apollo Global Management acquired CEC Entertainment, Inc. 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 feature more upscale decor, an open kitchen, the "Play Pass" card system to replace arcade tokens, and the animatronic stage show replaced by a dance floor area.

Chuck E. Cheese's menu

Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain with locations across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. The chain is well-known for its arcade games, amusement rides, and musical shows, as well as its pizza and other food offerings.

The Chuck E. Cheese menu features a variety of options, including:

Pizzas:

Chuck E. Cheese offers a range of specialty pizzas, such as the Homestyle BBQ Chicken Pizza, Spicy Hawaiian Pizza, Signature Meatball Pizza, and Spicy BBQ Piggy Pizza. They also offer build-your-own options, allowing customers to choose their crust and toppings.

Wings:

The menu includes traditional bone-in buffalo wings and oven-baked all-white-meat boneless wings. A variety of sauces are available, including hot buffalo, smoky BBQ, sweet chili, lemon pepper, and more. Wings are served with celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Appetizers:

Appetizers include cheesy bread, French fries, and an app sampler featuring a combination of cheesy bread, French fries, and wings.

Desserts:

Dessert options include cakes, a giant chocolate chip cookie, and churros with cotton candy, sour apple, and blue raspberry sugar.

Drinks:

Chuck E. Cheese offers a range of Pepsi-Cola products, as well as premium beers and wines at select locations.

Salads:

The menu also features a garden salad with fresh-cut lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion, served with a choice of dressing.

In addition to these options, Chuck E. Cheese also offers combo deals, family packs, and birthday party packages. The chain has recently introduced a monthly fun pass, providing unlimited visits, games, food discounts, and surprise bonuses.

Chuck E. Cheese's birthday parties

Choosing a Location

To find the closest Chuck E. Cheese location to you, simply visit their website and select your city and state or ZIP code. This will help you determine the nearest restaurant and the available packages, as these may vary by location.

Birthday Packages

Chuck E. Cheese offers a range of birthday party packages to suit different budgets. Their new $99.99 package includes the birthday star (your child) and five friends, with two hours of unlimited gameplay and unlimited soft drinks. This package also features the exclusive Chuck E. Cheese birthday experience, including the Birthday Show, the Ticket Blaster Experience, and upgraded prizes.

Additional Options

If you want to enhance the birthday experience further, Chuck E. Cheese offers add-ons like pizza, a dedicated party host, upgraded prizes, and collectible items. They also have the Mega Fun and Ultimate packages, which include more pizzas, better prizes, Dippin' Dots Ice Cream, and other perks.

Booking and Guest Management

You can book a birthday party reservation up to 60 days in advance, and changes can be made easily on their website. A non-refundable deposit of $50 is required to secure your reservation, which will be applied to your total bill on the day of the party. It's important to manage your guest count, as additional kids are subject to a per-kid cost if changes are made on the day of the party.

Special Offers and Discounts

Chuck E. Cheese frequently offers special promotions and discounts, so be sure to check their website or sign up for their email list to stay informed. They also have a Birthday Club that you can join for free, which provides members with gifts, upgrades, and discounts for their kids' birthdays.

A Unique Birthday Experience

Chuck E. Cheese is known for its fun and interactive entertainment, combining arcade games, amusement rides, and musical shows. The birthday star will have a memorable experience with their friends, enjoying games, delicious food, and exclusive birthday perks.

So, if you're looking for a fun and affordable way to celebrate your child's birthday, Chuck E. Cheese's birthday parties offer a convenient and enjoyable option with something for everyone to enjoy.

Frequently asked questions