The show is over for Chuck E. Cheese's iconic animatronic band.
The company announced this week that it will be removing the Munch's Make Believe band from all locations except one venue in Northridge, Calif., near Los Angeles.
David McKillips, president and CEO of Chuck E. Cheese's parent company, CEC Entertainment, said in a statement that the decision to keep the animatronics at the Northridge location is purely for the purpose of nostalgia.
"As an important part of the legacy of the brand, we know that the animatronic band holds a special place for many fans in their childhood memories," McKillips said in the press release. "We want our fans to know that the decision to keep the band here is meant as a gesture of love and gratitude as our legacy continues to evolve in new ways."
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The animatronic characters and their band were a part of the childhoods of several generations. Children and adults across the country might recall attending birthday parties at either Chuck E. Cheese or ShowBiz Pizza Place, depending on where they grew up and how old they are.
Now, it's the end of the road for the beloved characters that revolutionized local family entertainment with what was groundbreaking technology at the time.
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The announcement comes three weeks after the release of "Five Nights at Freddy's," a horror movie featuring similar animatronic puppets.
The movie is based on a popular video game that follows a security guard who must survive five nights at "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza," a restaurant seemingly inspired by pizza chains like Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz Pizza Place, while the animatronic characters come alive and try to kill him.
Though Chuck E. Cheese is saying goodbye to its animatronic bands, the Irving-based chain plans to upgrade its venues over the next few years. They will see new technology, interactive dance floors, kid-focused arcade games, and new trampoline zones in some locations.
Chuck E. Cheese's brand transformation comes after the family entertainment and pizza chain fell on hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nearly 50-year-old company filed for bankruptcy in 2020 as the restaurant industry as a whole was impacted by the spread of the virus.
Full-service Chuck E. Cheese restaurants lost about 80% of their average revenue at the peak of the pandemic. Prior to that, the company still carried nearly $1 billion in debt on their balance sheet through the fourth quarter of 2019.
The restaurant chain has managed to bounce back since the pandemic. Chuck E. Cheese announced earlier this year that it would give away 500 free children's birthday parties to lucky winners nationwide to celebrate the most common birthday, which is Sept. 9.
The popular entertainment center chain has also brought back a fan favorite "Birthday Star Free" promotion, where the birthday kid celebrates for free with 12 or more paid birthday party guests.
