Chuck E. Cheese Reimagined

By Kristen Hernandez

All ten South Florida Chuck E. Cheese restaurants have gotten major technology upgrades during a market-wide renovation effort to evolve the brand, including the one at Pompano Citi Centre, 1955 N. Federal Highway. Each location has gotten music, décor, gaming, and menu overhauls. It’s still the Chuck E. Cheese you’ve always known, but now with more wow.

Part of the market-wide changes include expansions of the play area and removal of walls which now allows parents to watch their child regardless of where they are. They’ve also incorporated a more contemporary color palate. All tables have charging stations to stay connected while little ones play. There’s a new light-up interactive dance floor which transforms into centerstage when Chuck E. Cheese and Friends perform every hour on the half hour. Each location also sports a massive 200-inch LED video wall that showcases Chuck teaching their dance tutorial.

The upgrades don’t stop inside the locations. Parents looking to visit South Florida’s second famous mouse can now plan, including how much they want to spend, with the new Chuck E. Cheese app. With the app parents can create spending limits for each child, keep track of tokens and tickets, pause timed play, and monitor spending from previous visits. Kids can be independent with Play Bands which are used for games, rides, tracking tickets, and lets kids re-up or cash out by themselves at a ticket counter or one of several kiosks.

With the addition of fifteen newest and hottest video games available, it’s no wonder Chuck E. Cheese rakes in over two billion in arcade sales yearly. After parent company CEC Entertainment in Irving, Texas filed for bankruptcy in 2020, it took just six months to rebound. “The judge who ruled over the bankruptcy proceedings said Chuck E. Cheese is part of the fabric of America”, said Alejandra Brady, Head of Public Relations. According to Brady, last year CEC renovated 35 locations worldwide. This year, they’re on track to renovate 200 locations. CEC expects to have their entire fleet of over 400 stores completely upgraded within the next two to three years.

“Chuck E. Cheese is a multigenerational brand,” said Brady. “Whether it’s your first birthday, your first job, your first career at corporate, or bringing your first child to celebrate a milestone, Chuck E. Cheese is part of American culture. We’ve had to evolve over time to stay relevant and that’s why we’re still here.” Brady is one of many employees whose first job was at Chuck E. Cheese, then later she returned to a lucrative career at headquarters after becoming a parent herself.

The fun at Chuck E. Cheese has also gone digital. Their relaunched website include links to their YouTube and YouTube Kids channels, where kids can view Edutainment videos and participate in daily

Afternoon Fun Breaks. Parents can download Behavior Rewards Sheets that can help reward good behavior with free play at Chuck E. Cheese restaurants. Check out www.chuckecheese.com and download their app today. Be sure to visit the Pompano Beach location at Citi Center for a sneak peek at the newly reimagined Chuck E. Cheese, where kids go to just be kids.