Company Timeline

1977 - Atari opens the 1st Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California.

1978 - Nolan Bushnell leaves Atari and purchases the Pizza Time Theatre assets for $500,000, founding Pizza Time Theatre, Inc.

1979 - A Co-Development Agreement is signed between Bushnell and hotelier Robert L. Brock to open approx 285 Pizza Time Theatre restaurants across 16 states. Prior to opening his first franchise, Brock meets Aaron Fechter of Creative Engineering, Inc. and they form a competing company, ShowBiz Pizza Place, Inc.

1980 - The 1st ShowBiz Pizza Place opens in Kansas City, Missouri. Pizza Time Theatre files a lawsuit against Topeka Inn Management and Brock for breach of contract. Brock files a countersuit against Pizza Time Theatre and Bushnell on the grounds of misrepresentation.

1981 - Pizza Time Theatre and ShowBiz Pizza Place rapidly expand. Pizza Time Theatre, Inc. becomes publicly traded.

1982 - A settlement in the ongoing lawsuit is reached, with ShowBiz agreeing to pay Pizza Time a portion of its profits for 14 years (estimated to be valued at $50 million).

1983 - The great video game crash occurs in the United States, and both companies slow their expansion. Sales begin to weaken for both chains.

1984 - Bushnell resigns as chairman of Pizza Time. Shortly after Pizza Time Theatre, Inc. is forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ShowBiz begins the purchase of existing Pizza Time units and franchise rights.

1985 - ShowBiz completes the merger of with Pizza Time, obtaining their assets for cash and stock estimated at $35 million. The new company is renamed ShowBiz Pizza Time Inc. and has 359 stores (207 ShowBiz, 152 Pizza Time). Dick Frank is hired as the new President of ShowBiz Pizza Time. Creative Engineering sells its stake in ShowBiz, and major restructuring is undertaken with the help of the Hallwood Group. Unprofitable locations are closed.

1986 - With 272 stores, ShowBiz Pizza Time begins to show profits as financial restructuring is completed. Major remodeling is tested at both ShowBiz and Pizza Time locations.

1987 - ShowBiz Pizza Time opens its first new location in 3 years. New attractions are test marketed in select locations, with the prospect of rolling out new features system-wide.

1989 - ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. is spun-off from parent company Integra (formerly Brock Hotel Corp) and becomes publicly traded.

1990 - Concept Unification is introduced, removing the Rock-afire Explosion from ShowBiz stores and replacing them with Chuck E. Cheese characters.

1992 - Having completed Concept Unification, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza becomes the exclusive store brand operated by the company.

1994 - Following disappointing sales in 1993, ShowBiz Pizza Time drops the word "pizza" from the restaurant name, rebranding it as simply Chuck E. Cheese's. A new kid friendly version of Chuck E. is also promoted, giving a thumbs-up gesture in the new restaurant logo.

1995 - Phase I remodels begin, a store refresh prompted by outside competition from other family entertainment centers such as Discovery Zone. Phase I features includes new additions such as Skytubes and Kid Check kiosks.

1998 - ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. changes its company name to Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. Phase II remodels begin, increasing the number of games and rides and upgrading the prize redemption areas.

1999 - Chuck E. Cheese's purchases its former competitor, Discovery Zone.

2000 - 300th company-owned Chuck E. Cheese's location is opened. Phase III remodels begin with a focus on enhanced games and rides, and all new Toddler Zone and Skytube improvements.

2003 - 400th company-owned Chuck E. Cheese's location is opened.

2004 - Phase IV remodels begin, featuring updated interior and exterior decor and new color scheme.

2005 - 500th Chuck E. Cheese's location is opened.

2012 - Facing slowing sales, Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment Inc. revamps the Chuck E. Cheese mascot, transforming him into a computer generated rock star.

2014 - Apollo Global Management acquires Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. and its 577 worldwide stores for approximately $950 million. As a result of the merger, Chuck E. Cheese's becomes a privately-held, wholly-owned subsidiary of affiliates of Apollo. Soon after, the company acquires the Peter Piper Pizza chain of restaurants - both chains become operated under Queso Holdings, Inc.

2017 - Chuck E. Cheese begins testing new "2.0" remodels, branded as Chuck E. Cheese Pizzeria & Games. The new stores have upscale features, and the animatronic shows are removed in favor of an electronic dance floor over which the costumed character performs.

2019 - Chuck E. Cheese's drops the possessive and rebrands as simply "Chuck E. Cheese". An attempt to take the company public through a merger with the shell company Leo Holdings Corporation falls apart shortly after being announced.

2020 - With stores forced to shutter amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Chuck E. Cheese begins selling pizza under the pseudonym brand Pasqually's Pizza & Wings. Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Inc. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.