1 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to food Stuff. I'm Annie Reeve and 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we're talking about Chuck E Cheese. Yes, 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: our Chuck E Cheeses is more properly known. It's a 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: possessive now. Yeah, let's get that out of the way 5 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: right out front. Yeah, somehow this comes up a lot 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: at our office. It's one of those mysteries of conversation. 7 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: I'd say at least once a week. Yeah, I don't 8 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: know how. And we haven't done any restaurant episodes yet 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: here on food stuff, which is a theme that we, 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: you know, have been planning on covering. Chuck E Cheese 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: is a restaurant. Yeah, it serves food, it does for sure. 12 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: Have you ever been to a Chuck E Cheese along? Yeah, 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: I mean clearly, clearly obviously not well, not in like 14 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: like twenty five years at least. Um, I remember going 15 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: in the late eighties, early inties. I went for my 16 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: ninth birthday and I there was this purple unicorn prize 17 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: I really wanted, and I'm sure if I just bought 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: it from a grocery store it was probably maybe maybe 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: a dollar probably the less. But I spent at least 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: twenty dollars on tokens to get tickets to. Okay, if 21 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: if you out there in podcast land have never been 22 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: to a Chuck E Cheese or never heard of one, 23 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: and are very confused about what's going on, let's talk 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: about what it is. Yes, let's do that. Uh huh 25 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,639 Speaker 1: oh man. The easier question is what isn't it? Because 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: it's a restaurant, it's an arcade, it's a midway. Their 27 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: theatrics involved. Chuck e Cheeses is a chain of dining 28 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: and entertainment centers aimed at families with young children like 29 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: ages two to twelve or thereabouts. Chuck e Cheeses where 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: a kid can be a kid. That's the saying, uh 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: huh um, that's been there, saying for like forty years. 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: It's their forty anniversary this year. By no, I did 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: not know that. Yeah, we're old. It's great. Um. Chucky 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: Cheese is generally feature video game cabinets, arcade games that 35 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: let you collect tickets to exchange for prizes, and pizza, 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: alcoholic beverages for the adults, and some kind of live 37 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: entertainment or, as the case may be, mechanical entertainment. More 38 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: on that in a moment, and they do focus on 39 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: birthday parties and other like multi family gathering kind of situations. Yeah, 40 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: and the live entertainment part is is really what catapulted 41 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: this concept to legendary status, because otherwise you've just got 42 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: an indoor midway, but that the entertainment involves performers in 43 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: in walk around costumes, which is an entertainment industry term 44 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: for those full body plush costumes, you know, like the 45 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: kind that Disney uses to let Mickey Mouse actually walk 46 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: physically around their parks and give kids hugs and or 47 00:02:53,280 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 1: their very first existential crisis. Yes, that kind of custom. 48 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: And originally Chuck E. Cheese has had a full band 49 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: of life size robotic characters that would act out verbal 50 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: skits and play music. Yes, that is what I remember, 51 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: and this is that it terrified me. When I was 52 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: a child, I was on the borderline of thinking that 53 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: animatronics was okay, and that was one of the ones 54 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: where I was like, well, I am not happy. You 55 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: were not okay with that. I was not. I was 56 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: not pleased. I don't think, I don't think. I don't think. 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: I completely broke down, But that's good. I remember being 58 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: like I was like, I'm gonna go play some ski ball, 59 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: do something else other than watch this, literally anything else. Yes. 60 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: Although they started with just one location in San Jose 61 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: in the late nineteen seventies, there are now six hundred 62 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: and six locations spread throughout the United States and the 63 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: middle of South America, plus the United Arab Emirates and 64 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia. Yes, you can visit a Chuck E Cheese 65 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: in Mecca. Wow, Go to pray, stay to play. Is 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: that not that I'm personally aware of, But if any 67 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: marketing teams want to get in touch with me, we'll 68 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: have a contact information at the end of the show. Uh. 69 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: They They employee about eighteen thousand people worldwide and made 70 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: just a hair under a billion dang dollars in revenue 71 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: in According to Chief marketing officer Michael Hartman, of families 72 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: who live within fifteen miles of a Chuck E Cheeses 73 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: and have a child between the ages of three and 74 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: eight have visited at least once, and half of those 75 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: families have visited in the past year. Chuck E Cheese 76 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: is doing a lot better than I thought it would 77 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: be currently. I know, right, it's still it is a 78 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: pervasive cultural phenomenon. Yes, and let's talk about how it 79 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: came to be a pervasive cultural phenomenon. Chuck E Cheese 80 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: was the brainchild of Nolan Bushnell, who also happens to 81 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: be the co founder of Atari like Atari Atari, Yeah, 82 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: like the video games company. Yeah. He originally started Um 83 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: Chuck E Cheese. He built this game called Pong, an 84 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: arcade game called Pong you may also be familiar with, Yes, 85 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: and he wanted a place where people could go play 86 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: it and he could make money off of it. Yeah, 87 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: like like a vertical integration thing, because he was going, 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: you know, we're selling the cabinets. So in seven, while 89 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: working at Atari UM, bushnow got the idea that if 90 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: he could give these games a home, he could make 91 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: a lot more money because at the time, you would 92 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: sell a coin operated arcade game for two thousand, which 93 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: is a nice chunk of change. However, but over the 94 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: lifetime it goes on to make fifteen to twenty thousand dollars, 95 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: which is way more. Yeah. So he wanted a slice 96 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: of that. And speaking of wanting a slice of that, 97 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: came up with the concept for the restaurant within arcade 98 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,239 Speaker 1: attaches a way to avoid competition from typical straight up arcades, 99 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: and since pizza is relatively simple, fast, pretty much universally revered, 100 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: he decided to make it a pizza place. Yeah. Yeah. 101 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: Other innovations, by the way, that that Nolan Bushnell made 102 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: include one of uh steve jobs first professional gigs, uh 103 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: in developing the game Breakout in the seventies and uh so, 104 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: I note, I'm very happy that this episode gaming the 105 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: opportunity to explore the video game crash of a k a. 106 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: The Atari Shock. Oh oh, it's great. There's definitely an 107 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: episode about that over on tech stuff. I'm sure that 108 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: you can use your googles to to find that one. Um. 109 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: But okay, let's let's get back to those singing animatronics. 110 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: How did that happen? Yeah, this kind of bizarre thing 111 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,239 Speaker 1: came about actually with the parents in mind. What, Yeah, 112 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: they were meant for the parents. So Bushnell knew that 113 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: kids could be very, um, very persuasive, you might say 114 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: that when they are trying to convince their parents to 115 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: do something that they wanted to do. So Bushnell knew 116 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: that an arcade means spending money, and parents are kind 117 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: of trying to avoid that. So he thought if if 118 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: he had a free robot band, it was free with 119 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: food purchase, then it would it would be more of 120 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: a cell, would be an easier sell. It would be 121 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: like entertained, like dinner and in a show and then 122 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: guess what, Mom and dad, there are all these games here, 123 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: this arcade and also beer you like beer? You do 124 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: you like beer? Have have a beer? Will you? And 125 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: I can't really recall the die dialogue of this show, 126 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: but Bush now claims it worked on two levels for 127 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: adults and children and that it was edgy. Ah. Unfortunately 128 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: I was unable to find any footage of this, but 129 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: I I believe that that probably is true, like like 130 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: a Muppets kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. He drew inspiration 131 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,679 Speaker 1: from a place called Pizza and Pipes, where large crowds 132 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: would gather to eat pizza and watch someone play an 133 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: organ and he was like, they're just coming to see 134 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: this organ show and getting pizza. I can do that. 135 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: I can do better. Yeah, And then he saw the 136 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: animatronics at the Tiki Room at Disneyland, and that gave 137 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: him the idea to just cut the cost of having 138 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: to pay for a performer and get a robotic band. Yeah. 139 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: Because that's clearly cheaper than paying a human person in 140 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: his mind, and probably in the long run. And at 141 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: the time this project was known as code name Coyote Pizza. 142 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: When it was on its way to be in Greenland, 143 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: Bushnell attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. 144 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: Are I a p A in Orlando? I'm sure that's yeah. 145 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: He stumbled across the group selling mascot outfits, and they 146 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: just so happened to have the perfect coyote mascot, because 147 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: if you couldn't tell about the code name, the original 148 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: idea was for a coyote mascot. Yeah. Bushnell purchased the 149 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: outfit and send it back to his team so they 150 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: could get about started robotifying it. And when Bushell had 151 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: returned and he asked about the progress report on this 152 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: animatronic coyote, the engineers were confused and they told him 153 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: but they didn't receive a coyote costume, but they had 154 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: instead received a rat. Oh but how did that mix 155 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: up happen? Who knows? It changed the chorus of this 156 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: whole thing. Footagel was unfazed. He said, no problem, we'll 157 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: call it regrets Pizza instead. Well, as you can imagine, 158 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: due to the whole people kind of being grossed out 159 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: by rats, especially near their food. Even before Pizza Rat, 160 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: the public relations firm associated with this was not really 161 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 1: on board with Regrets Pizza, so they proposed a name change. 162 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: A week or so later, they countered with check E Cheese, 163 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: and the E stands work entertainment. By the way, Yeah, 164 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: and and I think that they chose this name based 165 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: on the fact that it forces your face to smile 166 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: like three times in what while you're saying it? To 167 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: do it with me friends, Chuck E Cheese. Oh, it's terrible. 168 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: It's like it's like the Joker venom. Yeah, I mean, 169 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: but's great. They were like, it's happiness and syllables go, 170 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: that's crazy that there are people paid to think about 171 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: that and that yeah. Nuts. Well. With the name besided 172 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: upon and the animatronics built, the first Chuck E Cheese 173 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: opened in San Jose, California, in May of nine. The 174 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: original cast of animatronics included Chuckie Cheese, Krusty the cat, 175 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: who was replaced by Mr Munch after only a year, Pasqually, 176 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: the singing chef on drums, the dog Jasper t jowls 177 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: and the war Blats who could forget the war blatz Um. 178 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: It was known after Mr Munch joined as Munch's Make 179 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: Believe Band, and many characters would be tested throughout the years, 180 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: including an Elvis impersonator, UM multiple husband having former cabaret 181 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: star and hippo Dolly Dimples. I think I remember Dolly. 182 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: I don't remember Dolly. I yeah, I don't remember really anybody, 183 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: but I think, like seven year old me was like, 184 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: what kind of low rent miss Piggy? Is this some 185 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: shade on Dolly and the hippo coming from a young 186 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:14,079 Speaker 1: Lauren Um? And this brings us to a quick bonus 187 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: note about animatronic programming. At the time, the skits were 188 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: programmed by Mike Hatcher, who wrote the authoring system and 189 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: was also a skilled puppeteer and screenwriter. Each minute of 190 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: movement took three hours of programming, with two movements happening 191 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: simultaneously during each show, and he did this during the 192 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: Graveyard shift by watching a tape and programming each movement individually. 193 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: And on top of that, the skit changed monthly, you know, 194 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: keep things fresh, keep people coming. Sure, I gotta come back. Yeah, 195 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: new joke that works on two levels when we get 196 00:12:54,280 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: this week and extra bonus fact the animatronics were pneumatic. Yeah, 197 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: uh powerful stuff. Yes, And going back to that, the 198 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: show kind of being aimed towards adult thing. The first 199 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: rendition of Checky Cheese was a bit less kids friendly. 200 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: If you look through the old check E Cheese comic 201 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: books and yes there are comic books. He smoked cigars, 202 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: he had a thick New Jersey accent, and he was 203 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: kind of a jerk. He was like, really mean, you 204 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: should look at these pictures. It's he looks like just 205 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: the worst alcoholic. Oh, he's got huge bags and his eyes, 206 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: his nose is drooping cigar and all this smoke around him. Chucky, 207 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,439 Speaker 1: what are you doing? Take care of yourself, buddy, The 208 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: kids are watching. Yeah, they changed that relatively quickly, but 209 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: Chuck Ease questionable moral practices were not the not the 210 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: end of the drama for this very bizarre little business. 211 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: Um little ain't little at all, is it? Um? And 212 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: we'll get into some more of that right after a 213 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: quick word from our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you sponsored. 214 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: So about a year after that first San Jose location opened, Warner, 215 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: the company that you've probably heard of, purchased Atari from Bushnell, 216 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: but they didn't really want to have anything to do 217 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: with a PiZZ arcade rat themed thing. Bushnell. They told 218 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: him to sell it, and what you know who bought it? 219 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: But Bushnell He sold it to himself. He sold it 220 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: to himself, and he was not going to let it go. 221 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: At the time. It was more of a side project 222 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: for him because he remained on as the CEO of Atari. 223 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: But um, there's some tensions between Mourner and Bushnell and 224 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: by the time they decided they'd had enough of each 225 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: other and split ways, Bushnell had opened two fifty Chuck 226 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: E Cheeses and they were up and running throughout the 227 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: United States. Yeah, so he was pretty pretty busy along 228 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: the side making sure that this was probably going to succeed. Yes, 229 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: and then even more drama. Bushnell thought financial backing from 230 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: the chairman of Brock Hotel Corporation, Bob Brock, and while 231 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: researching some improvements he could make as he expanded Chuck 232 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: E Cheese, Brock um he was going to expand them 233 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: into sixteen states. He states, sixteen New states, Yes, thank you. 234 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: He came across an animatronic engineer named Aaron Fetcher. Fetcher's 235 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: animatronics worked a little more smoothly than the current ones, 236 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: and U, said chuck e Cheese. Apparently they actually had 237 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: facial expressions that changed, Oh my goodness, just tumbling you 238 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: further and further into the uncanny valley perfect. We all 239 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: love that, don't we. So Brock offered to buy them 240 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: from Fetcher. But apparently they were very far superior than 241 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: what Chuckie Cheese had going on, because when Fetcher turned 242 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: down rocks offer, Rock instead went in to business with Fetcher, Yeah, 243 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: opening a competing restaurant arcade named show Biz Pizza Place. Yeah, intrigue. 244 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: I know there's an intrigue pizza rat intrigue. This is crazy. 245 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: Their target was slightly different, with the band Rock a 246 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: Fire Explosion that played music more appealing for an older crowd. 247 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: And someone in her office who works in her office 248 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: Fancy tells me that there's a documentary about this. Oh yeah, 249 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: I haven't had the chance to watch it, but I 250 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: will absolutely speak it out. Yeah, yeah, check it out 251 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: and let us know what you think. Yeah, And as 252 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: you can imagine, chuck ee Cheese wasn't happy about this. 253 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: Probably Bushnell, the company so they sued Showbiz Pizza Place, 254 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: eventually reaching a settlement that obligated Showbiz Pizza Place to 255 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 1: pay out some of its profits to Chuck E Cheese 256 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: over a fourteen year period. Yeah, and all the while 257 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: this is going on, Chuck E Cheese is building a 258 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: pretty solid rep for reputation. In a nineteen one Info 259 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: World article written by Scott Mace, he described Chuck E 260 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: Cheese as quote a whiruling combination of garish lights and 261 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 1: NonStop electronic noise that is quite unlike any other pizza 262 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: parlor or video game arcade. It is part Star Wars, 263 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: part Disneyland, and part social phenomena. Yeah. But despite this, 264 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: shall we say praise and the legal win, Chuck E 265 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: Cheese went bankrupt in Night four, and show Biz took 266 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: it over. What I know, they combined the two companies 267 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: into Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. But Schnell, he abandoned ship 268 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: just before bankruptcy, and he walked away with thirty five million. 269 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: And I couldn't find like he wouldn't. He won't talk 270 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: about it really, or at least in any interview I 271 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 1: could find. He won't talk about exactly what happened. Oh 272 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: my Goodnes Yeah, but Chuck E Cheese the character was 273 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: too popular to kill off, so show bizzes Billie Bob 274 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: very similar to check e Cheese, Um and Chuck E 275 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: Cheese appeared and as together as friendly competition. Who lies. 276 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: I know, it's so there's so much drama here. And 277 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 1: when Fetcher the animatronics guy left, he took his rocketfire 278 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: explosion creations with them, but he only took the outside 279 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: like the suits. So they used the actual like skeleton 280 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:53,360 Speaker 1: the animatronic skeletons, and they put Chuck E Cheese costumes 281 00:18:53,400 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: on them. Yeah, oh ye be at all I know, 282 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 1: don't think about it too hard. By nine two, all 283 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: locations had been rebranded as check e Cheese. Huh yeah 284 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: and side note in the same vain type of restaurant. 285 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: David Busters opened its first location in nineteen two and 286 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: other side note, check E Cheese went international in nineteen 287 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: eighty under the name Charlie Cheese in Australia and that 288 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: name changed thing was due to the Australian association of 289 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: Chuck with vomit. I don't want people associating that with 290 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: the restaurant. Probably not no other other other side note, 291 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: the company went public in nineteen eighty nine, and then 292 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: would go on to change its name to C e C. 293 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment in n In nine, the company 294 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: produced a direct to video movie. It was called Chuck E. 295 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: Cheese in the Galaxy five thousand. Okay, it mostly only 296 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: played in in Chuck E Cheese location, but it's apparently 297 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: about a young boy who needs to raise money to 298 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: fix his family's tractor. So the whole animal crew gets 299 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: together and enters an intergalactic race on the planet or Ryan, 300 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: of course, because that's the most logical way to raise 301 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: like fifty grand for a tractor. That's definitely what I 302 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: would have done. It's the very first thing I would 303 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: have thought of. In Chuck, he received a makeover and 304 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: a species change. He's a mouse now. Yeah, he's also 305 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: younger and slimmer looking. Um, he's some for for some reason, 306 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: lost the backwards baseball cap and the elbow pads that 307 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: he always wore, despite the fact that he was never 308 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: like skateboarding or rollerblading. No, he had definitely had elbow 309 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: pads for a while there. Um. He now wears Chuck 310 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: Taylor's like the kids do. Yeah, and he sometimes carries 311 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: a guitar and he's voiced by the frontman of Bowling 312 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: for Soup. Uh. I never saw that coming. I thinks 313 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 1: that I did not dream I would get to say 314 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:11,959 Speaker 1: into a microphone. Ever, Yeah, Jarrett Reddick Uh he He 315 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: replaced the decade long voice actor Duncan Brannon in and 316 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: there was a little bit of drama about that too, 317 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: because apparently Brandon was just about the last person to 318 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: know about the switch. Like a fan Center video with 319 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: the new actor to Brandon, and he was he like 320 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: released a press release about how upset he was about 321 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 1: the situation. Yeah, that would be pretty upsetting. In early 322 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: the company was was floundering a little bit again and 323 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: CEC Entertainment was bought by this private holding company called 324 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:50,439 Speaker 1: Apollo for one point three billion dollars. Later um the 325 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: company would buy a pizza chain called Peter Piper Pizza, 326 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: which is a family restaurant concept with playgrounds and arcades attached, 327 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: sort of like the inverse of check E Cheese. I 328 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: think Apollo is trying to kind of expand it's uh, 329 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: it's it's holding in this company. And as of seen, 330 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: there have been reports that Apollo is looking to either 331 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: open the business to public trading again with an I 332 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: p O sometime this year, or to sell the chain 333 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,719 Speaker 1: for two billion dollars. They have turned the chains profits 334 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: around in the time that they've owned it. Um. These 335 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: entertainment centers had been operating at a loss for a 336 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: couple of years. But um, but now they're they're they're 337 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: doing they're doing some some some millions in profit every 338 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: quarter these days. So wow. Yeah, it's pretty impressive. This 339 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: is a section we had to come back and add 340 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: in because right after we recorded our episode on Chuck 341 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: E Cheese Big Chuck E Cheese News, Yeah, we apparently 342 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: tapped into some kind of Chuck E Cheese site. Guys, 343 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: we did. We could feel that this was an important 344 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: topic of the moment brewing. Yeah. So Chuck E Cheese 345 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: as of as of August of seventeen, is working on 346 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: phasing out their animatronics. NA No more Pizza Time players. No. 347 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 1: And the reason they gave for this is that kids 348 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: are too discerning these days. Yeah, They're expectations of technology 349 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: are too high and that therefore even the best of 350 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: animatronics are going to be slightly disappointing. Wow. But Tom Leverton, 351 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: the company CEO reported that many people have like bought 352 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: used animatronics and set them up in their own homes 353 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: and garages to like and like keyed them around to 354 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 1: playing music again. So there's a second life there is. 355 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: When I was searching this, a lot of the top 356 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: results for like auctioning off. Yeah, just kind of both 357 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: endearing and terrifying. I don't know how I would feel 358 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: if I went to someone's house and they had that 359 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: in your garage. I wouldn't need to know that before 360 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: I arrived, Yes, I would need a warning. I also 361 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: found a hilarious eulogy written by a musician and it 362 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: was like, you didn't know at first. It was about checking, 363 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: like I know how hard it is to make it 364 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: in the entertainment business, but this man whose middle name 365 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: was an entertainment couldn't make it, and how will I? 366 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: It was great, It was great. Well, they're also um 367 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: phasing in digital Kiosk, so that you don't have to 368 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: interact with a person at all. You just say I 369 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: want a pizza and um a coke or whatever beverage 370 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: you'd prefer, and this many dollars time a playing time 371 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 1: in your card. That's it, so so so old robots 372 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: out new robots in exactly. So that kind of explains 373 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: the the history of the entertainment and the company. But hey, 374 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: this is a show about food, reportedly, so what about 375 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: the food? What about it? Well, food and beverages make 376 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: up about fort of Chuck e Cheese and Peter Piper's 377 00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: total sales. So the food is a lure, it's a trap. Wow. Yeah, 378 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: So what are they serving? Yeah, besides pizza. Well, the 379 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: basics are the same worldwide, like creepily the same. Okay, 380 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: I went I went down a little bit of a 381 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: rabbit hole today. I pulled up the menus from all 382 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: of their international locations and three locations around the United States, 383 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 1: um specifically one in Massachusetts, one in Boise, Idaho, and 384 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 1: the one in Atlanta, and then Chile, Guatemala, Panama, Trinidad 385 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: and Tobago, Peru, Mexico, and Dubai. And they basically all 386 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: offered the same things, like down to the same specialty 387 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: pizza topping combinations. I made a spreadsheet. Okay, so so 388 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: categories here. All of them serve wings, some kind of 389 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 1: fried potatoes, chicken nuggets, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and beverages. 390 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: You can go essentially anywhere in the world to a 391 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: chuck e cheese and get the same Italian Shabbata sandwich 392 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,479 Speaker 1: or the same chicken caesar wrap. Everywhere except Mexico, Panama, 393 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: and Chile offer the same barbecue chicken pizza. It has 394 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: green peppers, crispy onions, chicken and a barbecue sauce. And 395 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: Chile they call their all meat pizza the Americana, which 396 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: cracks me up. I was like, oh, thanks, guys. Um. 397 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: Just about everywhere except America offers a full coffee slash 398 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: espresso bar. Atlanta is the only location I checked that 399 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: specifies that wine is available in addition to beer on 400 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: their menu, which does seem to be fair like a 401 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: very Atlanta thing. I think most places also offer wine, 402 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 1: but their online menus say like also beer, right, get 403 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: a coffee, But Atlanta Atlanta is like, we got wine too. 404 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: They're like, hey, we need you to know. The Peruvian 405 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: menu deviated the most. They offer a Hawaiian pizza for dessert. 406 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: There's plan or a marshmallow pizza that served with ice cream. 407 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: What is a marshmallow pizza? I don't know. I think 408 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: it's baked dough. That you've covered in marshmallow fluff. I 409 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: want it. Oh okay, tripped to Peru. Um, we need 410 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: to get a kid along the way. Uh. They also 411 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: the peruving menuas specifies that they have local beverages like 412 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: passion fruit juice and Chica morata, which is a spiced 413 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: purple corn fruit drink beverage thing. Um. In Dubai. As 414 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 1: an appetizer, you can get come on bear bites. That's 415 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: pretty fancy. It is Dubai, it's true. Also, speaking of food, 416 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: they also sell dairy products in grocery stores. What I 417 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: this is a thing that I never knew. I missed this, 418 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, you can buy chuck E Cheese branded string cheese, 419 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: shredded cheeses, and not one, but four flavors of yogurt 420 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: in a squeezy tube. Um, they've got strawberry, blueberry, melon berry, 421 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: and cotton candy. Why the cheese? I get melan berry. 422 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,160 Speaker 1: I want I want society to just take a moment 423 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 1: and think about what they've done. I want someone to 424 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: explain to me why melanberry yogurt in a squeezy tube 425 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: relates to chuck E Cheese. I just want some kind 426 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: of clarity. Please mice like yogurt, all right, the young, 427 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: healthy hip nows likes yogurt in addition to cheese. It's 428 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,479 Speaker 1: cool to like yogurt. Cool to like yogurt. Clearly I 429 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:33,679 Speaker 1: understand now, Thank you, Lauren. Um. We do have a 430 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: few other reasons that we think that Chuck E Cheese 431 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: is cool, um, and we will get to them after 432 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: one more quick break for a word from our sponsor, 433 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: and we're back, Thank you sponsor. So yes, culture things. 434 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: It just so happens that right before this, I was 435 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: watching Um Gravity Falls and there was an episode making 436 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: fun of Chuck E Cheese. I was like, this is 437 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: fate and then the animatronics go crazy and try to 438 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: kill people. And speaking of that, Five Nights at Freddie's 439 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: is probably one of the biggest examples of like a 440 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: cultural Chucky Cheese thing. This this is I've never actually 441 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: played it. I know it's it's it's a video game though, 442 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: yes it's a video game, and it's pretty short if 443 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 1: you haven't heard of it. It's inspired by Chuck E 444 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: Cheese type restaurants where you're playing a security guard that 445 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: has to evade malfunctioning animatronics that will kill you. Yeah, 446 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: you're you're working at night, you're on the night watch, 447 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: and you only have a limited amount of power to 448 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: supply you through the night. And you can you look 449 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: through the security cameras, but that takes power if you 450 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: turn all the lights, It takes power if you close 451 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: the doors to protect yourself. So you kind of have 452 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: to play a waiting game where they're getting closer and 453 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,720 Speaker 1: closer and you have to like rashing out your power 454 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: and let them get closer until until it's just hopeless 455 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: and they kill you. Yeah. I I've never lasted all 456 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 1: five nights. Usually Bonnie the Bunny kills me. Okay, she's 457 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: really fast, she's the fastest one. Well no, there's there's 458 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: like a secret one too, and he's way faster, but 459 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: he only comes out randomly, but that's not better. The 460 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: creator apparently got the idea for this game after he 461 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: was designing what was supposed to be a kid friendly 462 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: game and he got a lot of complaints about it 463 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: that the main character that was supposed to be a 464 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:41,400 Speaker 1: happy beaver looked too much like a freaky animatronic that 465 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: would kill you. This was like complaint he was getting 466 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: in his in box, and he was like, well, I 467 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: can do that instead. Interesting anyway, it's a It's a 468 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: great game if you have any interest in like jump 469 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: scares or I played it at a party before where 470 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: we turned off the lights and I saw I could 471 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: last the longest because it's pretty it's fairly short. Um, 472 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: it's super fun and there are five sequels. I want 473 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 1: to play the first one. But yeah, we're we're flocking 474 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: into interested in a scary fun game? Uh? Oh yeah, 475 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: I sent Laura the trailer. Um, I'm trying to get 476 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: it play. I don't know. I might have My ticker 477 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: is not as good as it used to be. Might 478 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: might have to little. However, speaking of games, Um, there's 479 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: a great episode of the Freakonomics radio podcast that goes 480 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: into the token system. The Chuck E Cheese is arcade 481 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: games use and and it it's arguing that this is 482 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: kids first exposure to price theory. Oh really, price theory 483 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 1: being the concept of balancing supply and demand by setting 484 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: an appropriate price. Um, if you if you lower the 485 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: price for a good or a service, you can increase 486 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: demand for it, right because more more folks are willing 487 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: to pay for it when it's cheaper. Uh, you know. 488 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: It's why I like half a million people bought Lady 489 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: Gaga's digital album Born this Way during the first two 490 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: days that it was on the charts, it was priced 491 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 1: at all of a sudden. Everyone was like, sure, I'll 492 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: take it, Course, I'll take it. Why not? But but 493 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: there was an infinite supply of that thing. The interesting 494 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: thing about price theory is when you bound up against 495 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: the limits of a supply. Okay, the way that this 496 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: relates to check e Cheese, all the games in check 497 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: e Cheese locations take a single token to play, and 498 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: those tokens even out, you know, across like deals and 499 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: bargains and whatever, to about twenty cents each. And that 500 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: didn't change from the nineteen seventies through this year. It's 501 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: been the same price to play a game all of 502 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: that time. And this was on purpose. Bushnell wanted to 503 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: keep people playing. They wanted to keep people there buying 504 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: more pizza and soda and beer and you know, spending 505 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 1: more money. So once you're there, it costs essentially nothing 506 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: to keep playing games. And of course there's going to 507 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: be a run on a few popular ones, um, But 508 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: since the price of play is so low, you know, 509 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: there's always going to be someone who doesn't feel the 510 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: need to share and just totally camps their favorite cabinet. 511 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: You know, like that guy at the buffet who takes 512 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: all the crab legs. Yeah, that guy. It's it's it's 513 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: the most valuable experience. Um. And and it doesn't cost 514 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: you anything to shut other people out except for, you know, 515 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: a little piece of your soul. Mm hmm. Don't be 516 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: that guy. I don't do it. This brings us to 517 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: public disturbances. This was um. I think the first time 518 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: Chucky Cheese came up in our office, it was because 519 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 1: somebody was telling the story of how he recently learned 520 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 1: that a lot of fights take place. Uh. For for 521 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: for example, in one town in Wisconsin, in two thousand 522 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: eight alone, local police had to break up twelve fights 523 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: among adults at chuck E Cheeses is Uh. That's more 524 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: than any other establishment in the area experienced public disturbance. 525 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: And in Oaktown, Illinois, outside of Chicago, police responded over 526 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: the course of five years to for three hundred calls 527 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: and made dozens of arrests. Dozens of arrests, multiple dozens, 528 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:11,839 Speaker 1: more than one dozen. Again, these are adults that are 529 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: doing the fighting. Um. And these places tried to make 530 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 1: it better, you know, they reduced crowding on the arcade floors, 531 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:22,359 Speaker 1: they stopped serving booze. Um. But the altercations continued, and 532 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: one economic theorist blamed the low price point of the 533 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: games for driving demand to explosive levels. Man, it was 534 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: too high, right, your kids been on ski ball for 535 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: twenty five minutes. I bet ski ball was quite popular. 536 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: Pop your right in the kisser. Yeah. Uh, But the 537 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: data doesn't necessarily bear out to that theory. It's it's 538 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: an interesting theory. But when I when freakonomics looked into 539 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 1: the police reports, it seemed like domestic disputes, um, you know, 540 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: estranged parents showing up at birthday parties and stuff like that. Um, 541 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: that that was the majority of the problem. And and 542 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: furthermore that the altercations happened with a similar frequency at 543 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: other booze and game places like daved Busters. Um. It 544 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: just makes more sensational headlines when it happens at check 545 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: E Cheese, because it's because it's check E Cheese. However, 546 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: whether price theory is to blame or not, chuck E 547 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: Cheeses are rolling out to r F I D chip 548 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,279 Speaker 1: cards that you can, you know, like, load up and 549 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: use for for play around the arcade floor. I'm sure 550 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 1: that you've seen cards like that in different places and 551 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: and that will allow them to track user behavior and 552 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: adjust price points on the fly to finagal demand on 553 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: the fly. Yeah. I'm like having to hold myself back 554 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,719 Speaker 1: from saying wow one more time because this is a 555 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: lot of this is just my brain cannot process. It's 556 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:53,720 Speaker 1: a shockingly cutthroat industry. The eatertainment, rat themed pizza, arcade 557 00:35:54,239 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: midway place industry that one shockingly cut throat apparently, Well, 558 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: that brings us to the end of Chuck E Cheese. Yeah, however, 559 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 1: we do have for you some listener mail we do, 560 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 1: April wrote in response to our French cuisine episode. Medieval 561 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,239 Speaker 1: cooks did not use spices to cover the taste of 562 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: rotten meat. For one thing, they would have all gotten sick. 563 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: I'm a medieval re enactor and have done a lot 564 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: of research on medieval food. Spices in the Middle Ages 565 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: were like a cross between truffles and saracha. Today, they 566 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: were like truffles because they were so expensive to import 567 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:42,400 Speaker 1: and only rich people could afford them. So using spices 568 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 1: was the way of showing off how richie were. They 569 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: were like saracha, because spices added a new and different 570 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,359 Speaker 1: taste that made food more exciting, So let's put them 571 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,399 Speaker 1: in everything. A friend who is a chef and also 572 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: a reenactor pointed out to me that medieval cookbooks tend 573 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: not to mention certain facts of life that would have 574 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,399 Speaker 1: been taken for granted. Fresh meat tended to be more 575 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: seasonal in the Middle Ages, and medieval cooks were more 576 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 1: likely to be working with salted meat than fresh. The 577 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: strong sweet, slash, sour, and spice flavors in medieval recipes 578 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: were intended to balance the saltiness of preserved meat, like 579 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:19,720 Speaker 1: the sweet spicy glazes we put on ham. Ah, Absolutely, April, 580 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 1: and thank you so much for writing in with that correction. Yeah, 581 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 1: that was I kind of flippantly said that thing in 582 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:29,720 Speaker 1: that episode, but yeah, and I just had never considered that. Yeah, 583 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 1: they probably were already salted. A lot of meat was 584 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: probably already salted. It was an interesting thing that I 585 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 1: had never thought about it before. So yes, thank you, April. 586 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely Yeah. Chantelle also wrote in about our French cuisine 587 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: episode and said it reminded me of how This applies 588 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: to many other areas of French culture. My mother moved 589 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: to America from France when she was young, so I 590 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: have a lot of families still living there. My cousin 591 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: from Dijon visited recently and while out shopping, she noticed 592 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: the store named dog Boutique. She was curious as to 593 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: why they used the French word boutique instead of shop. 594 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: I explained that some Americans consider French culture to be 595 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: a fancy and high class, so by using the word boutique, 596 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: they're not just a dog shop, but a fancy dog shop. 597 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 1: My cousin laughed at the absurdity, but soon came to 598 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,320 Speaker 1: eat her words. After her visit, she updated her English 599 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: store sign, which she had in French and English to 600 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: attract tourists and expats, to include the word boutique, and 601 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: has said that her English speaking client tell has grown significantly. 602 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,000 Speaker 1: While she can't correlate this increase directly to the sign change, 603 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: I think it's a pretty cool story, and so do we. 604 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: Yeah that coracked me up, Yeah, because I hadn't really 605 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 1: considered the use of boutique in a similar way for 606 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 1: a restaurant, But yes, absolutely, yeah, uh yeah, so so 607 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: I think that's our episode for the day. Uh. If 608 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 1: you would also like to get in touch with us, 609 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: Thank you so much to to to these fine humans 610 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: for getting in touch. If you would like to do 611 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: that too, you can email us. Yes, our email address 612 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,280 Speaker 1: is food stuff at how stufforks dot com where also 613 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: on social media, you can find us on Facebook and 614 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: Twitter at food Stuff. Hs W stands for how Stuff Works, 615 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,439 Speaker 1: and you can also find us on Instagram at food stuff. Oh. 616 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:14,719 Speaker 1: Thanks also as well to our audio engineer Tristan McNeil. 617 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 1: We hope to hear from you uh and we hope 618 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 1: that lots more good things are coming your way.