The first modernized, re-branded version of iconic child entertainment & restaurant brand Chuck E. Cheese has opened in San Diego.
Chuck E. Cheese is an American children's entertainment center and pizza restaurant chain founded in San Jose, CA, in 1977 by Atari video game system co-founder Nolan Bushnell. The parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2020 amid the pandemic and is currently in the process of rebranding locations to a new, modernized format. Chuck E. Cheese currently has over 550 outposts around the world with eight branches sited around San Diego County, including in La Mesa, Mira Mesa, Sports Arena, Oceanside, National City and Escondido.
San Diego's newest Chuck E. Cheese and first of the updated design and format has opened in the space that last housed a Hometown Buffet in Santee. The new design features brighter lighting, sleeker furniture, cleaner signage, and a new Chuck E. Cheese logo. Like other branches, the new location will also operate as virtual restaurants operating on food delivery apps. Currently, the company operates virtual dining concepts Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings and LankyBox Kitchen.
Other changes implemented at the new Chuck E. Cheese store include phasing out the classic animatronic dances and promoting more interactivity. The new "Chuck E. Live!" show will feature costumed performers engaging with patrons around the facility and on a new interactive dance floor. There are also floor-to-ceiling video monitors, displaying content aimed at today's tech-savvy kids.
Chuck E. Cheese is now open at 265 Town Center Parkway in San Diego's East County city of Santee. For more information, visit chuckecheese.com.
