Chuck E. Cheese wants to be the Costco of family fun

Chuck E. Cheese wants you to stop by as frequently as you pick up groceries, and it’s selling subscription plans to sweeten the pitch.

Chuck E. Cheese wants you to stop by as frequently as you pick up groceries, and it’s selling subscription plans to sweeten the pitch.

The 47-year-old pizzeria and arcade chain has emerged from bankruptcy with renovated locations, a slew of digital upgrades and a membership program that it hopes will prove both affordable and habit-forming. The goal isn’t to be just someplace to take your kids once or twice a year for birthday parties. It’s to turn Chuck E. Cheese into a routine recreational option that can compete with Netflix and the neighborhood playground alike.

“For us to win this game, we need to drive multi-visitation,” David McKillips, the president and CEO of Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company, told NBC News in January.

Chuck E. Cheese recently invested $350 million to remodel its more than 460 U.S. locations.Chuck E. CheeseThe chain launched a membership program in August 2024 and said Tuesday that it has sold 200,000 12-month subscriptions since then, with three tiers ranging from $7.99 to $29.99 a month. Annual “Fun Pass” holders get unlimited visits, discounts on food and attractions, and other perks to encourage what McKillips described as “active play” — a post-pandemic priority for customers.

Even at the upper price point, he said, “it is very reasonable for parents and families to come out and have a reasonably priced pizza and gameplay every single day.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/chuck-e-cheese-wants-costco-family-fun-rcna195652

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