Chuck E. Cheese launches adult-focused ‘Chuck’s Arcade’ with location in Florida as part of national expansion

New York CNN Chuck E Cheese isn t just for the kids anymore The arcade chain is opening a spin-off aimed at adults called Chuck s Arcade which the company describes as a modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E Cheese great Similar to the kiddie version Chuck s Arcade has a mix of nostalgic arcade games like Donkey Kong and Mortal Kombat and newer titles such as Halo and Connect Four Hoops Plus each arcade is overseen by one of the chain s iconic animatronic characters including Chuck E Cheese himself or other characters from his Munch s Make Believe Band Ten are open so far at malls across the United States with arcades in St Petersburg Florida Tulsa Oklahoma El Paso Texas and St Louis Each location looks different decorated with original artwork that celebrates the brand s past according to a release Of curriculum there will also be prizes for adults to win and arcades will have old-school merch available for purchase Selected arcades will serve food with the Kansas City location having a pizzeria that also serves a small selection of beer and wine a spokesperson narrated CNN David McKillips CEO of Chuck E Cheese noted that the spin-off is a natural evolution for the company following the remodel of its locations and sees it as an opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences The company s expansion comes five years after it filed for bankruptcy during the height of the Covid- pandemic Chuck E Cheese spent million in remodels over the past meager years as well as introducing new pricing tiers to attract budget-focused families The launch of Chuck s Arcade comes amid troubles for its chief rival Dave Buster s The latter is publicly traded and in recent months released a decline in same-store sales with its new management trashing ill-advised changes implemented by its previous leadership that included too various adjustments at once