CEC Entertainment

Chuck E. Cheese's

Type	Subsidiary of CEC Entertainment, Inc.
Industry	Family entertainment centers, fast food
Founded	1977; 40 years ago (1977) San Jose, California, U.S.
Founder	Nolan Bushnell
Headquarters	Irving, Texas, U.S.
Number of locations	523 stores (2017)
Area served	North America, South America, Middle East
Key people	Gene Landrum (first President and COO)
Products	Pizza, arcade games, kiddie rides, birthday parties
Website	www.chuckecheese.com

Chuck E. Cheese's is a chain of American family entertainment centers and restaurants. The chain is the primary brand of CEC Entertainment, Inc. and is headquartered in Irving, Texas. The establishment serves pizza and other menu items, complemented by arcade games, amusement rides, and animatronic displays as a focus of entertainment for the entire family. The brand derives its name from its main animatronic character Chuck E. Cheese, a comedic mouse who sings and interacts with guests.

Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, was the first location to open on May 17, 1977. The concept was authored by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, credited with bringing video games such as Pong to the mainstream. The Pizza Time Theatre was the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. Following a filing for bankruptcy, the chain was acquired by competitor Showbiz Pizza Place in 1984, forming Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. In 1990, the company began unifying the two brands with the goal of renaming every location to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza. They redesigned the logo in 1994, dropping Pizza from each store's name. In 1998, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. became CEC Entertainment, Inc. As of 2017, 523 Chuck E. Cheese stores are open.

Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre was founded by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, who was seeking to expand the purview of video game arcades beyond more adult locations like pool halls to a kid and family friendly venue. Bushnell’s experience in the amusement park industry, as well as his fondness of The Walt Disney Company, was influential in the conceptualization of the Pizza Time Theatre concept. The first location opened in San Jose, California in 1977, and was labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, cheap animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade. In 1978, Bushnell purchased the Pizza Time Theatre concept from Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications. Gene Landrum then resigned from Atari and was made President and Chief Operating Officer of Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre.