CEC Entertainment, Inc.
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Formerly called
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Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre |
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| Subsidiary of CEC Entertainment, Inc. | |
| Industry | Family entertainment centers, fast food |
| Founded | May 17, 1977 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Nolan Bushnell |
| Headquarters | Irving, Texas, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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Over 600 |
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Area served
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North America, South America, Middle East |
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Key people
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Gene Landrum (first President and COO) |
| Products | Pizza, arcade games, kiddie rides, birthday parties |
| Website | www |
Chuck E. Cheese’s (formerly Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza) 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.
The first location opened in San Jose, California, as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre on May 17, 1977. The concept was created 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. The logo was redesigned in 1994 after Pizza was dropped from each store's name. Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. became CEC Entertainment, Inc. in 1998, and over 600 Chuck E. Cheese stores are open in 47 states and 15 foreign countries as of 2017.
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 for The Walt Disney Company, were 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.
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