(BUTTON) Menu [1]Topics * [2]Consumer Trends * [3]Food * [4]Beverage * [5]Emerging Brands * [6]Operations * [7]Technology * [8]Marketing * [9]Workforce * [10]Leadership * [11]Financing [12]Data * [13]Top 500 Chains * [14]Top 100 Independents * [15]Future 50: Emerging Brands * [16]Same-store Sales Tracker [17]Special Reports * [18]50 Great Ideas * [19]Killer in the kitchen * [20]Evolving Kitchens * [21]The impact of the $15 wage * [22]America's Favorite Chains * [23]Untangling the supply chain * [24]View All [25]Resources * [26]Columnists * [27]Magazine * [28]Recipedia * [29]A Deeper Dive Podcast * [30]Menu Feed Podcast * [31]Restaurant Rewind Podcast * [32]Webinars * [33]Newsletters * [34]Advertise * [35]Contact Us [36]Events & Communities * [37]Restaurant Leadership Conference * [38]FSTEC * [39]All Meetings Inside Chuck E. Cheese's high-tech makeover The 45-year-old food-and-games chain is remodeling all of its 470 locations to cater to tech-savvy Gen Alpha kids and their always-on-the-clock parents, to the tune of more than a half million dollars per store. By [40]Heather Lalley on Jun. 17, 2022 * [41]Facebook * [42]Twitter * [43]LinkedIn Chuck E. Cheese is spending a lot of money to keep pace with high-tech Generation Alpha kids and their hard-working parents. The food-and-games chain is in the midst of a massive remodel project, adding more interactive tech elements to its units, upgrading its party rooms and even installing device charging stations so mom and dad can log some late work hours while their kids play. Chuck E. Cheese just completed upgrades at its 10 locations in South Florida, its first time remodeling all of the stores in one market. The 45-year-old eatertainment brand, which wrapped up 35 remodels last year, is spending between $500,000 and $550,000 per unit on the makeover and plans to complete 100 this year, with the rest of the chain's 470 units slated to be finished in the next two or three years, said Alejandra Brady, the head of public relations and crisis communications for Chuck E. Cheese. (Just 18 of the brand's stores are owned by franchisees.) "Part of the new leadership team's mission is to bring the Chuck E. Cheese brand to the new generation," Brady said. "We have been known, and we are, a multi-generational brand." Brady herself said her first job, at 16, was at Chuck E. Cheese. She worked at the chain all through high school and college before coming to the corporate office 22 years later. "The brand has evolved," Brady said. "The generation of today, from the child's perspective, is a lot more tech-savvy than I was at five years old. And the demands and needs of busy parents and grandparents, who maybe need to do more work after 5 p.m. ... The mindset is continuing to consider all the generations." Technology is "front and center" in the updated stores, she said, building on the introduction of a Chuck E. Cheese app last year and the rollout of "play bands" and "play passes" several years ago to replace cumbersome tickets and tokens. "You used to have to use the ticket muncher," she said. "Now all of that is quick. When mom is ready to go, she's ready to go." The remodels are a significant investment but they appear to be paying off: Updated stores are seeing a 20% boost in business, Brady said. Here's a look at some of the major changes at remodeled Chuck E. Cheese locations. Store exteriors feature more neutral tones, rather than bright colors, along with a new look for Chuck E. Cheese himself. Photos courtesy Chuck E. Cheese The menu aligns with Chuck E. Cheese marketing around the "four seasons of fun," including seasonal LTOs, such as pizza variations, new ice cream flavors and decorated cupcakes. All the tables now have charging stations to plug in computers and tablets, and there's a 200-inch LED video wall. Seating has been reimagined so it's lower and walls have been removed from the play area so caregivers can have better lines of sight on their children, no matter where they are in the unit, Brady said. A new gaming area has been created for the chain's youngest customers. The birthday room has been expanded with more seating room. Each remodeled location features an average of 15 new video games. Instead of taking place in the birthday room, Chuck E. Cheese's show with all of his mascot friends takes place every hour on the half hour on the new interactive digital dance floor. "So, even if you're not at a birthday party, you can enjoy the show," she said. "Kids can make it light up. We know that kids want interactivity and things that light up." CEC Entertainment, the parent company of [44]Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza, became the first major restaurant brand [45]to declare bankruptcy in the early months of the pandemic. By January 2021, the operator emerged from bankruptcy protection, removing about $705 million in debt from its balance sheet. [46]design [47]News Up Next [48] California restaurants brace for more rain after battering from multiple storms [49] Restaurant Brands International makes strides in commitment to use 100% cage-free eggs by 2030 [50] Diversifying formats pays off for Shake Shack [51] In-N-Out to open first East Coast territory office in Tennessee [52] Remember the pandemic? What a difference 3 years make Trending [53]Financing[54] Subway is apparently exploring a sale [55]Operations[56] California restaurants brace for more rain after battering from multiple storms [57]Financing[58] 10 takeaways from the ICR Conference More from our partners [59]Technology[60] Prepare for college basketball watch parties with top tech investments [61]Food[62] Try LTOs starring beer cheese and maximize craveability on the menu [63]Food[64] Cook-and-serve options deliver consistently great taste with less labor Winsight is a leading B2B information services company focused on the food and beverage industry, providing insight and market intelligence to business leaders in every channel consumers buy food and beverage - convenience stores, grocery retailing, restaurants and noncommercial foodservice - through media, events, data products, advisory services, and trade shows. [65]Privacy Policy[66]Contact Us Copyright © Winsight, LLC. 2023 References Visible links 1. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/amp/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 2. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/consumer-trends 3. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food 4. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/beverage 5. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands 6. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations 7. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology 8. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing 9. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/workforce 10. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/leadership 11. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing 12. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/amp/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 13. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/top-500-2022 14. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/top-100-independents-2022 15. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/future-50-2022 16. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/rb-same-store-sales 17. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/amp/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 18. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/50-great-ideas-2020-2020/50-great-ideas 19. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/killer-kitchen-restaurants-face-evolving-epidemic-addiction 20. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/evolving-kitchens-2020 21. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/impact-15-wage 22. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/americas-favorite-chains-2020 23. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/untangling-the-supply-chain 24. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/special-reports/view-all 25. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/amp/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 26. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/columnists 27. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/magazine 28. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/recipedia 29. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/deeper-dive 30. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/menu-feed 31. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/restaurant-rewind 32. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/webinars 33. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters 34. https://advertise.restaurantbusinessonline.com/ 35. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/contact-us 36. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/amp/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 37. https://restaurantleadership.com/ 38. https://fstec.com/ 39. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/industry-events 40. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/heather-lalley 41. https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 42. https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Inside%20Chuck%20E.%20Cheese%27s%20high-tech%20makeover&url=https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover 43. https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/inside-chuck-e-cheeses-high-tech-makeover&title=Inside%20Chuck%20E.%20Cheese%27s%20high-tech%20makeover&summary=The%2045-year-old%20food-and-games%20chain%20is%20remodeling%20all%20of%20its%20470%20locations%20to%20cater%20to%20tech-savvy%20Gen%20Alpha%20kids%20and%20their%20always-on-the-clock%20parents%2C%20to%20the%20tune%20of%20more%20than%20a%20half%20million%20dollars%20per%20store.%20&source=Restaurant%20Business 44. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/long-dizzying-ride-led-chuck-e-cheeses-bankruptcy 45. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/chuck-e-cheese-parent-emerges-bankruptcy-protection 46. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/design 47. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/restaurant-business 48. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/california-restaurants-brace-more-rain-after-battering-multiple-storms 49. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/restaurant-brands-international-makes-strides-commitment-use-100-cage-free-eggs-2030 50. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/diversifying-formats-pays-shake-shack 51. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/n-out-open-first-east-coast-territory-office-tennessee 52. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/remember-pandemic-what-difference-3-years-make 53. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing 54. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/subway-apparently-exploring-sale 55. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations 56. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/california-restaurants-brace-more-rain-after-battering-multiple-storms 57. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing 58. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/10-takeaways-icr-conference 59. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology 60. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/prepare-college-basketball-watch-parties-top-tech-investments 61. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food 62. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/try-ltos-starring-beer-cheese-maximize-craveability-menu 63. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food 64. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/cook-serve-options-deliver-consistently-great-taste-less-labor 65. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/privacy-policy 66. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/contact-us Hidden links: 68. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/ 69. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/subway-apparently-exploring-sale 70. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/california-restaurants-brace-more-rain-after-battering-multiple-storms 71. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/10-takeaways-icr-conference 72. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/prepare-college-basketball-watch-parties-top-tech-investments 73. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/try-ltos-starring-beer-cheese-maximize-craveability-menu 74. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/cook-serve-options-deliver-consistently-great-taste-less-labor 75. http://www.winsightmedia.com/