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Chuck E. Cheese’s plans to grow sales by targeting adult palates with improved menu

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X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/...s-to-grow-sales-by-appealing-to-grown-ups.ece

The place where a kid can be a kid also wants to be the place where Mom can get a cappuccino and Dad can chow down on an artisan-like pizza.

The Irving-based Chuck E. Cheese’s chain this week completed the nationwide rollout of the biggest change to its menu in more than a decade, officials said in an interview this week. The change is meant in part to reduce the vetoes from parents craving more sophisticated tastes.

New offerings include California Alfredo thin and crispy pizza with mushrooms and spinach and, for a limited time, New York-style cheesecake.

The point, Tom Leverton said, is to recognize that while children drive the desire to visit, it’s the parents who hold the car keys.

“When you think about Chuck E. Cheese’s, you certainly do think about kids entertainment upfront as well as pizza,” said Leverton, chief executive of the parent company, CEC Entertainment Inc. “We see an opportunity to further improve ... on providing menu offerings that entice the adults more to agree to take their children to Chuck E. Cheese’s.

“If we provide a good experience for Mom and Dad,” he added, “they are going to be more willing to take their kid to Chuck E. Cheese’s instead of ... going out to a competing place.”

Nationwide, the company rolled out the Cali Alfredo pizza along with an update to its BBQ chicken pizza, now with a smoky barbecue sauce and fried onions. It also has introduced whole-wheat tortilla wraps such as Chicken Caesar and a Club wrap.

And it added churros with dipping sauces.

All locations in North Texas are being remodeled in the coming months. Some will include full coffee bars, featuring cappuccinos and lattes. Others will have full dessert bars.

If those items prove popular here, they may be expanded.

The company’s website touts “all-new menu items for grown-up tastes,” proclaiming “we’re not playing games with our food anymore.”

In addition to the menu updates, the company is mulling replacing those jingling tokens with a plastic “play pass,” a la Dave & Buster’s. It also sees an opportunity to get more into the to-go business, with the food drawing diners who aren’t necessarily toting a toddler.

Parental feedback on the menu additions so far, from some of the early adopter markets, has been “phenomenal,” Leverton said.

“I think you’d guess 10 or 15 other places before you’d guess that Chuck E. Cheese’s would provide this type of pizza,” he said. “It’s not artisan, but it is surprising.”

Push for upscale

The chain’s push toward the upscale comes as the pizza industry nationwide is beefing up the menu in the face of increased competition.

In November, Pizza Hut, the nation’s largest pizza chain, announced the most expansive brand update in the company’s half-century history. That included menu additions that mirror some items seen at artisan pizza shops and at fast-casual players such as Pie Five Pizza, based in The Colony.

Michigan-based consultant Dave “Big Dave” Ostrander sees the market dividing into four distinct groups.

“I think that there’s going to be three big winners when it’s all said and done,” said Ostrander, a frequent pizza contest judge. “No. 1 will be the very highest quality providers, [restaurateurs] that just make a fantastic pizza. No. 2 is going to be the lowest cost provider, and we all know who they are.

“The third ones are the fast-casual types. Some of it is above average to very good,” he added. “The rest are going to be slugging it out for the same customers.”

That means more competition in the middle of the pack, where some consumers place Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza now.

“I eat pizza a lot,” Ostrander added. “I haven’t eaten their pizza in a long time. I don’t think they’d win gold, silver or bronze in the competitions I’ve judged.”

At a Chuck E. Cheese’s in Garland this week, several parents said they like the chain’s pizza as it is, especially the pepperoni, which seemed to reign supreme this particular evening. None of the parents spotted during the dinner hour were dining on the menu updates.

Pepperoni preference

As she kept a watchful eye on just-turned 5-year-old Annabelle and big sister Gracie, 8, Brandie Bohmer noted that bolder flavors might come in handy during birthday parties, when the restaurant hosts a mix of adults.

Bohmer, who lives near Wylie, is a mom of four and said she has at least two birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese’s annually.

“When I have all of my family come, you do like to have different pizzas,” she said, as Gracie and Annabelle stopped by to display their ticket haul.

She and the kids are partial to pepperoni, which Bohmer said she’d buy on its own merits. She doesn’t think she’d order any of the new pizzas on a regular “family fun day” outing, adding “that’s not going to happen.”

Nearby, Zab Herrera, 38, also handed out slices of pepperoni to his daughters. It’s easier, he said, to just get one pizza that the whole family likes.

Currently, the to-go operation at the kid-centric restaurants consists largely of parents taking home uneaten pizza slices. Leverton envisions more diners making a special trip.

“With pizza this good, I think we will be able to generate [consumers] just coming in to take it home,” he said.

The company, which was taken private last year by affiliates of Apollo Global Management LLC, is investing more in equipment and talent to improve the food.

When CEC switches corporate headquarters this summer, the new building will have an expanded test kitchen, Leverton said. Overseeing operations there will be executive chef Gregory Casale, a Culinary Institute of America graduate.

“We are a real restaurant, and having that test kitchen will ensure that this is not just a one-time big bang,” Leverton said.
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J

Jeff-DSA

Member
That's nice, but their stance of assuming that any adult male is a pedophile is a pretty big deterrent to adults. Try and go in a for a little bit with your kids without your wife, it's pretty fun getting your wristband checked to make sure it matches your kids' bands multiple times per visit.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
I tagged along with a friend who was couch shopping and we ducked into a chuck e cheese to get a beer. It was a 24 oz one and we got a pizza too. Two limit though, I thought they were going to give us shit for no having a kid but they were cool with it, was a slow day.

^they didn't have that wristband shit when we went, it's gotten bad like that now?
 
B

bigkrev

Member
In addition to the menu updates, the company is mulling replacing those jingling tokens with a plastic “play pass,” a la Dave & Buster’s.
Click to expand...

Shocked they didn't do this years ago. It's an easy way to charge insane amounts for arcade games without letting people know how much they are spending
 
D

Damaniel

Banned
What sane adult would want to step within 100 feet of that place? Whiny, annoying kids everywhere.

Of course, *I* can't step foot into one anyway, since Chuck E. Cheese has decided that all men are pedophiles. They might as well continue to serve the slop that passes as 'food' there, since a huge chunk of half the adult population will never have a chance to try it anyway.
 
H

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
I surprised that changing the name isn't the strategy to focus on. I'm always impressed by the investment and ultimately the commitment companies supply brands while feverishly struggling to keep their business relevant.
 
G

Gentle Rodriguez

Member
Jeff-DSA said:
That's nice, but their stance of assuming that any adult male is a pedophile is a pretty big deterrent to adults. Try and go in a for a little bit with your kids without your wife, it's pretty fun getting your wristband checked to make sure it matches your kids' bands multiple times per visit.
Click to expand...

I hadn't heard of this, that's disgusting.
 
Z

zeemumu

Member
I haven't been in one of those since I was 11. I used to play that jurassic park rail shooter (not the one with the 3d models, the one with the pictures with 2 frames of animation.)

I kinda want pizza now, though
 
N

Nestled_Grizzly

Member
I went to Chuck E Cheese for my senior skip day with like three other girls. It was not bad but the pizza sucks. They should improve their ingredients first
 
A

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
bigkrev said:
Shocked they didn't do this years ago. It's an easy way to charge insane amounts for arcade games without letting people know how much they are spending
Click to expand...

Seriously. Fake money + booze = drunken spending spree.

Wish D&B had more actual arcade cabs though. I could see them making their money back with some older cabs.
 
C

CharlieDigital

Banned
Jeff-DSA said:
That's nice, but their stance of assuming that any adult male is a pedophile is a pretty big deterrent to adults. Try and go in a for a little bit with your kids without your wife, it's pretty fun getting your wristband checked to make sure it matches your kids' bands multiple times per visit.
Click to expand...

Duuuuude, I went there on Friday with my daughter and my wife and I were both wondering what that was for.

Anyways, the food is pretty awful.

The pizza was terrible; I don't even understand how it's possible to be worse than grade school cafeteria pizza but it's that bad. Like chewy rubber on a piece of cardboard.

When we got home, my daughter's pant legs were filthy from running around on the playground.

Dunno, guess I had a fun time, but probably not going back there any time soon.
 
M

Mask

Member
Man, I kinda want to visit one of these when I go to america, there's no equivalent "pizza, arcade and animatronics" retaurant in the UK.

Not that I'd be able to, they still don't let adults in on their own, right? I'd have to tag along with one of my buddie's family.
 
N

Nestled_Grizzly

Member
Mask said:
Man, I kinda want to visit one of these when I go to america, there's no equivalent "pizza, arcade and animatronics" retaurant in the UK.

Not that I'd be able to, they still don't let adults in on their own, right? I'd have to tag along with one of my buddie's family.
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Nah. You can go without kids. I did for senior skip day with like three other people haha
 
B

balladofwindfishes

Member
Do kids even care about animatronics anymore?

Why not just get rid of them and make more dining/game space and save on maintenance.

...or actually allow adults in without kids (only during certain times or something). Have grown up nights.
 
K

KissVibes

Banned
How about you just finally let twenty two year olds come in without a child to play goddamn Jurassic Park? That's all I fucking want.
 
S

SmithnCo

Member
balladofwindfishes said:
Do kids even care about animatronics anymore?

Why not just get rid of them and make more dining/game space and save on maintenance.

...or actually allow adults in without kids (only during certain times or something). Have grown up nights.
Click to expand...

Because then they'd literally just be a second-rate Dave and Busters. The animatronics at least give them something.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Jeff-DSA said:
That's nice, but their stance of assuming that any adult male is a pedophile is a pretty big deterrent to adults. Try and go in a for a little bit with your kids without your wife, it's pretty fun getting your wristband checked to make sure it matches your kids' bands multiple times per visit.
Click to expand...
and interesting alternative would be to have certain nights / times of day be adult-only and have a bar?
 
L

LakeEarth

Member
You mean you can buy something else other than terrible pizza and cheaply-made sandwiches at ridiculous prices? Oh joy!
 
V

Violence Jack

Member
Jeff-DSA said:
That's nice, but their stance of assuming that any adult male is a pedophile is a pretty big deterrent to adults. Try and go in a for a little bit with your kids without your wife, it's pretty fun getting your wristband checked to make sure it matches your kids' bands multiple times per visit.
Click to expand...

Wait, when did this become a thing? Granted, I haven't stepped foot into a Chuck E. Cheese since taking my god-daughter six years ago, but I knew nothing about this.
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
They still even do the animatronics? Seems like it would make more sense to do like those holograms/projections Gorillaz/Hatsune Miku-style.
 
D

Damaniel

Banned
Violence Jack said:
Wait, when did this become a thing? Granted, I haven't stepped foot into a Chuck E. Cheese since taking my god-daughter six years ago, but I knew nothing about this.
Click to expand...

It's not so bad if you take kids with you. It's still supposed to be kind of annoying, but they figure if you're there with a kid then you're probably OK.

Unaccompanied adults, on the other hand? Might as well have a big huge 'PEDO' mark stamped on your forehead, based on how they treat adults (especially male ones) without children there. Not that there's anything of note for an adult to do there, of course (and it's certainly not the kind of place I'd want to go to regularly, children or not), but their idea that all men are just predators looking to score at the ball pit is kind of disgusting.
 
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