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Hawk remembers...We had a Showbiz Pizza in our town, then it became a Chuck-E-Chesses. We went out their sparingly, but I ... More »
Posted on 08/09/09
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To a parent with a headache, it could be a sort of purgatory. To kids though, it was the closest thing to heaven. Fluffy animals, yummy pizza, plenty of games - all the essentials needed for an afternoon of glorious fun were within arm’s reach. T’was a place where a kid could be a kid.
The year was 1977 and the man who gave us Atari and Pong, Nolan Bushnell, realized that there weren’t enough family-oriented places for video games. To fill the void, he came up with an idea for a place that kids and adults could eat and play together. Originally called Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater and located in San Jose, California, it was a small-time operation – a glorified pizza shop with animatronic characters on stage performing for the guests. With a handful of video games, the concept was popular at the time, and the company expanded quickly through franchising.
Though most franchises could be found on the west coast, restaurants across the nation started popping up, ready for kids and their birthday celebrations. It was a great environment for the young set to have a birthday party in: there was everything a kid could want: entertainment, pizza, sodas and video games. Many games also offered tickets based on how well a player did, and the tickets could be turned in for a prize at the end of the day.
Had it not been for the cast of characters onstage, it would have just been another arcade. Classic characters, like Chuck E. Cheese, Crusty the Cat, Jasper T. Jowls, Pasqually and others joined the Warblettes and other animatronic characters onstage to the delight of their patrons. Birthday kids were often surprised and delighted when the big cheese himself, Chuck E. Cheese, would come out to wish them a happy birthday making it a truly special day. Today, only Chuck, Jasper and Pasqually remain and are joined by Helen Henny and Mr. Munch, each of whom have become popular with the kids in their own right.
The best part about Chuck E. Cheese’s has been a part of their slogan all along – “where a kid could be a kid.” They could laugh, yell, bounce around, and most importantly, work off that sugary soda rush somewhere other than home. For that reason alone, even the migraine-laden parent couldn’t help but be eternally grateful.
