When Atari founder Nolan Bushnell opened the first Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater on May 17, 1977 in San Jose, California he didn’t just create a new business, he pioneered an entirely new concept–the family entertainment center. Pairing the burgeoning arcade industry with food and animated entertainment, Chuck E. Cheese (CEC) had kids and their parents excited to celebrate birthdays, enjoy a night out for a family dinner, or provide a quick pit stop to satisfy the arcade gamer’s desires.
The company has experienced quite a bit of change throughout the years: the arcade crash, bankruptcy, acquisition by ShowBiz Pizza Place, the COVID-19 pandemic, another bankruptcy, and trying to adjust to the times by adding new attractions to the mix such as dance floors, trampoline zones, and obstacle courses as part of a $350 million overhaul. However, the basic concept remained the same—until now.
In late June 2025, CEC debuted a new era of entertainment from the company with the opening of Chuck’s Arcade. Billed as a “modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E. Cheese great,” the company welcomed 10 new locations in Florida, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, New Hampshire, and Missouri.
Recently, IVGHOF staff had the opportunity to visit one of the new Chuck’s Arcades. The new Buford, GA location is situated in the Mall of Georgia—coincidentally enough—in the expanded footprint of a former arcade which shuttered during the late stages of the pandemic. While many legacy malls are struggling, the Mall of Georgia is not. It boasts crowds of visitors and offers some upscale offerings with an Apple store, Nordstrom’s, a Regal movie theater, and more. While the opening of any new video game establishment is welcomed, it’s exciting to see new, name-brand arcades opening in traditional shopping malls.
“Malls in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s were community centers where we all frequently gathered to spend time with friends, and the arcades in those malls provided an opportunity to interact and socialize with like-minded peers in a shared setting.” Says David Bishop, IVGHOF Board Director and former NAMCO USA management in charge of over 500 arcade locations during the industry’s heyday. “Looking back, the general public misunderstood that games and arcades were—and are—primarily a social experience, especially today!
When asked about the new Chuck’s Arcade concept, Bishop stated, “There are some really smart folks in the management team at CEC. I know and respect a number of them, and they’re obviously working hard to pivot and expand their business for the coming decades. I love all celebrations of the history of game play & entertainment, and I applaud the cultural nods in this initiative!
The new location we visited was jam-packed with some of the latest and greatest equipment, with a nod toward the chain’s past in the shape of four classic arcade staples (with LCD screens): Asteroids, Tempest, Dig Dug, and Centipede. Despite a much smaller footprint than your typical Dave & Busters or Main Event, Chuck’s Arcade still follows the modern-day playbook with tons of redemption machines.
One thing unique to Chuck’s? Why, that would be a retired piece of Chuck E. Cheese history encased in glass—in Georgia’s case, a full-sized mascot costume for Mr. Cheese himself! While the Kansas City location does offer pizza dining options, the other nine Chuck’s are just focused on the games and the player experience. Fortunately, no two locations are exactly alike.
Beyond the games, what’s the draw? What does that leave to make each Chuck’s Arcade location unique and appealing to customers? In this instance, it may be that nostalgia alone is doing the heavy lifting for aging gamers who fondly remember birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese and now have children of their own are the target demographic. Perhaps CEC is just playing into the convenience of having a captive mall audience looking for something else to do in between shopping.
Can brand-name recognition alone be enough to make Chuck’s stand out and keep customers coming back? Recognizing the importance of on-location social gaming in keeping the legacy of electronic gaming alive and thriving, we welcome any new venture that places a spotlight on video games old and new. For those of us who grew up in the Golden Age of arcades with games dotting every mall in America, this may not seem like anything new. However, for a new generation experiencing row after row of electronic fun in one conveniently-located storefront, this might just be the beginning of a new gaming journey. We’re excited to see where that might lead.
