I have met a couple of adults who are unlucky enough to have never visited a Chuck E. Cheese as a kid. Many of them were not able to fathom why anyone would feel affection to the chain. Some of them would be lucky enough to see it through their kid’s eyes’ eventually, but for many, they will just never understand the magic. So on today’s episode of the Retroist Podcast, I want to talk a little bit about that magic.
I started by discussing my first experience at Chuck E. Cheese. It was a mind-blowing time and one that I wish I could relive. Then I move onto the company itself. I talk about its founding, its founder, its growth, its relationship with Showbiz Pizza, its falls, rebirths and much more. I tried not to go too deep on the business of the company, but instead try to give a solid overview that should work for people familiar with the chain and those who aren’t.
Chuck E. Cheese was built for kids. It was a message its founder, Nolan Bushnell liked to make sure people working there knew. But this was also a major chain that made history and looked like it was going on to huge things in the early 80s, but having tied themselves to the arcade industry, it was hurt by the crash of 1983. Still, the company managed to dig itself out, refocus and continue. Other companies and food chains have come and gone, but Chuck E. Cheese adapts and survives.
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Production Notes
This is the 338th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 13 of the new season.
I recorded an episode about Chuck E. Cheese about a decade ago, but never released the episode for reasons.
Chuck E. Cheese brought on a lot of competition and over the years I have heard from many people who went to non-Chuck or Showbiz pizza places that had animatronics.
Pardon my attempts at a NJ accent.
I was going to talk about Showbiz Pizza, but I think I will save that for a future episode. I was lucky enough to have tried both in my youth.
The one I went to most was in the parking lot of the Willowbrook Mall in New Jersey. We would go to the mall and I would see Chuck E. Cheese across the parking lot and beg my Mom to take me. My biggest dream at the time was to have my birthday there. Sadly it didn’t happen.
I cut out a great deal from this episode, but did add in some fun retro audio. The part I might revisit would be the subsidiary and ancillary businesses that sprung up around the business. Maybe as a bonus track.
The last time I was in a Chuck E. Cheese was in the mid 90s. It still had a few arcade games that I could recognize, but a lot had changed. It was already not the place of my youth.
Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow.
Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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