2024 CEC Future Planning Survey

The 2024 Chuck E. Cheese Future Planning Survey was a survey released on March 25, 2024 asking customers and fans of Chuck E. Cheese's their thoughts on the future plans for the company, concluding with thousands of submissions from the community.⁽¹⁾ The survey focused on four major areas: opinions on the Munch's Make Believe Band Residency at Northridge, CA (8425 Reseda Blvd), 5 different options for a differently themed CEC location- with one including an expanded version of the Residency, opinions on a CEC Fan Club with exclusive offerings, and what the company should do to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027.

History

Chuck E. Cheese would experience financial hardship in 2023, causing cuts to their new menu items- which at the time were consistently around 5 per year, a cut to programming for new shows, and stores closing. This culminated in the December 2023 report of CEC's parent company looking to sell the brand and its assets.⁽²⁾ CEC would do a few marketing pushes around the same time, being of the 'New Adult Menu'⁽³⁾ and a planned location in Australia. News from the company however would severely die down by the end of January. On March 25, 2024 at 5:02PM CDT, Mark Kupferman, a recent hire from November 2023 as the new Chief Insights and Marketing Officer⁽⁴⁾, would make a post to the r/chuckecheese subreddit titled 'Planning Survey from Chuck E. Cheese'⁽⁵⁾. The post would note:

'As we embark on an exciting phase of long-range planning, your insights as dedicated fans are incredibly important to us. We're exploring new ideas and would love to hear your thoughts.'

This would be the only place the survey would be posted, signaling to have it reach outside the general customer base and extent to communities and fans of the brand. While the reddit post itself did not gain much traction, the survey would quickly be spread throughout the animatronics community over the next following days.

Closure

The survey would conclude some time around 5PM CDT on March 27th, 2024, giving exactly a 2 day opening window for submissions. The new message on the webpage would state:

'Thank you so much for coming to our survey! We received thousands of great, thoughtful responses and we very much appreciate everyone's participation. We're sorry we missed your feedback this time around, but we plan to be conducting additional surveys soon!'

By the closure, the original Reddit post still only had 33 upvotes and 48 comments. Most of the submissions came directly from word of mouth. While the exact count of responses nor any analytics were released, many public posts about taking the survey suggest most users picked the themed location to be retro themed, alongside the choice for other animatronics displays to be Billings, MT (100 24th St), Hicksville, NY (Delco Plaza 11-15 Hanover Place), Springfield, IL (2369 McArthur Ave), and Charlotte, NC (7701 Pineville-Matthews Rd).^{(5)(7)(8)(9)(10)} The survey would re-open at an unknown time around March 29-30th, continuing to allow submissions. No statement announced the reopening. It would close again sometime within the week.

Survey Transcription

Due to the page being dynamically loaded, a transcription is provided for archival. The Numbered lists are for single-answer points, and the bullet points are for multi-choice. At two points the survey splits into different sections based on what you have selected.

Opening Page

Welcome and thank you for joining our survey. Your opinions are invaluable to us as we navigate through important planning stages. Your feedback will help shape our future decisions. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes. We appreciate your time and insights! This survey is anonymous and your responses cannot be traced back to you (all respondents received the exact same survey link). Your candid feedback is greatly appreciated.

Page 1

How would you describe your level of fandom for Chuck E. Cheese?

1. I'm a super fan; Chuck E. Cheese is a big part of my life
2. I'm a fan; I enjoy visiting and have fond memories
3. I'm casually interested; I visit occasionally and like the concept
4. I'm indifferent; I don't have strong feelings about Chuck E. Cheese
5. I'm not a fan; Chuck E. Cheese doesn't appeal to me

Which of the following best describes your location?

1. Northeast USA
2. Southeast USA
3. Midwest USA
4. Southwest USA
5. West Coast USA
6. Canada
7. Elsewhere

Page 2

Which of the following best describes your age?

1. Under 25
2. 25-44
3. 45-64
4. 65+

How often do you visit Chuck E. Cheese?

1. Much more than once a year
2. About once a year
3. Much less frequently than once a year

Page 3

Were you aware that we have decided to permanently keep the animatronics display active at our Northridge, California location?

1. Yes, I was aware
2. No, this is new information to me
3. I had heard something about it, but wasn't sure of the details

Page 4

Have you visited the Chuck E. Cheese location in Northridge, California, where the animatronics display is permanently active?

1. Yes, I have visited
2. No, I have not visited but plan to
3. No, I have not visited and do not plan to

Choice: No (Page 1)

Can you share why you haven't visited Northridge? Please select all that apply

• Distance/travel constraints
• Animatronics are not a draw for me
• Lack of time or opportunity
• Was not aware of the animatronics display
• Other (please specify) ________

Choice: No (Page 2)

How do you feel about missing out on the animatronics display in Northridge? Please select all that apply

• Very disappointed
• Somewhat disappointed
• Neutral
• Not disappointed
• Not interested at all

Page 5

Would you like Chuck E. Cheese to keep the animatronics display at another location closer to you?

1. Yes, it’s important to me
2. Yes, but it really doesn’t matter to me
3. No, it doesn’t really matter to me
4. No, it’s important that you don’t

Page 6

OPTIONAL: If you would like to see us keep the animatronics at a location closer to you, and have a specific location in mind, please specify it below: Please make sure you specify a location that currently has animatronics! _________ Why do you think we should keep the animatronics at this location? _________

Page 7

What unique and interesting theme would you like to see for a Chuck E. Cheese location?

1. Retro Chuck E. Cheese (1980-1990s): Experience the magic of Chuck E. Cheese with a nostalgic twist! Imagine arcade classics, iconic games, memorable Chuck E. memorabilia, and a menu inspired by fan favorites. Relive the glory days with themed parties, retro music, and an ambiance that takes you straight back to the best of the 80s and 90s.
2. Outdoor Camping Chuck E. Cheese: Enjoy a simulated outdoor camping experience indoors. Think artificial trees, tent-like play areas, and a campfire setting, complete with camping-themed games and snacks.
3. Educational Chuck E. Cheese: Engage with learning-based games and activities. A great concept for educational enrichment, but a departure from the classic Chuck E. Cheese entertainment-focused model.
4. Artistic Studio Chuck E. Cheese: Explore creativity with art-themed activities and digital art stations. While innovative, this theme focuses more on quiet creativity than the active, engaging fun associated with Chuck E. Cheese.
5. Futuristic Chuck E. Cheese: Step into a future-focused Chuck E. Cheese, with advanced tech games that are more about virtual reality and less about the physical play that defines the Chuck E. Cheese experience.

Why do you prefer the theme you selected? _________

Choice: Retro CEC

Which of the following would you want to see us include in a retro Chuck E. Cheese experience? Please select all that you like

• Retro décor & memorabilia
• 80s/90s music & karaoke nights
• Retro costume nights
• 80s & 90s candy
• Nostalgic merchandise
• Interactive history exhibit
• Retro arcade zone
• Adult dance parties
• Classic menu items
• Themed birthday party packages
• Retro game competitions
• Vintage photo booth

Choice: Camping Experience

Which of the following would you want to see us include in an Outdoor Camping Chuck E. Cheese experience? Please select all that you like

• Bird and animal call machines
• Starry night LED ceiling
• Nature soundscape ambient music
• Forest-themed indoor playground
• Wildlife educational kiosks
• Indoor “campfire” seating areas
• S’mores dessert station
• Interactive fishing game stations
• Camp-themed arcade games
• Canoe and kayak racing games
• Camping gear merchandise
• “Hike” obstacle courses
• Treehouse play area
• Picnic area with checkered tablecloths
• Tent-shaped private party areas
• Outdoor survival skill workshops

Choice: Educational Experience

Which of the following would you want to see us include in an educational Chuck E. Cheese Experience? Please select all that you like

• Book nook and reading corner
• Language learning kiosks
• Interactive planetarium
• Math puzzles and games area
• Coding and robotics workshops
• Homework help lounge
• Financial literacy games
• Geography and history exploration zone
• Educational arcade games
• Health and nutrition interactive displays
• Science experiment lab
• Nature and ecology exhibits
• Cultural heritage activities
• Virtual field trips station
• Engineering and building blocks area
• Art and music educational stations

Choice: Artistic Studio

Which of the following would you want to see us include in an artistic studio Chuck E. Cheese Experience? Please select all that you like

• Interactive mural walls
• Music creation lab
• Digital drawing pads area
• Art-themed arcade games
• Pottery and sculpting workshops
• Recycled art projects
• Live drawing and painting classes
• Stop-motion animation stations
• Gallery space for children's artwork
• Storybook creation corner
• DIY craft stations
• Themed art birthday party packages
• Puppet making and puppet show area
• Art supply shop
• Dress-up and photo shoot sets
• Graffiti art space

Choice: Futuristic Experience

Which of the following would you want to see us include in a futuristic Chuck E. Cheese Experience? Please select all that you like

• AI-hosted trivia and game shows
• Interactive touchscreen tables
• Sci-fi themed party rooms
• Space-themed indoor playground
• Futuristic laser tag arena
• Interactive LED dance floor
• Digital art stations
• 3D printing station for custom toys
• Augmented reality play areas
• Electric go-kart track
• VR gaming zones
• Neon and LED lighting decor
• Holographic arcade games
• Cyber café with futuristic snacks
• Drone racing circuit
• Robot serving staff

Page 8

Do you have any additional comments you’d like to add about the features you selected? _________

Page 9

How would you like to see Chuck E. Cheese celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary? Anything special you’d like to see? _________

Page 10

If we were to launch an official Chuck E. Cheese fan club, would you be interested in joining?

1. Definitely
2. Probably
3. Probably not
4. Definitely not

What features/benefits would you like the fan club to have? _________

Page 11

Which of the following features would you want such a fan club to offer? Please select all that you like

• Commemorative membership card
• Reto-themed parties & events
• Digital archive access
• Secret menu access
• Nostalgic merchandise
• Feedback opportunities
• Annual fan club meetups
• Limited edition collectibles & art prints
• Throwback newsletter
• Exclusive retro discounts
• Member’s only forum
• Retro game tournaments
• Voting rights on retro merchandise

Page 12

OPTIONAL: Would you be interested in joining our Chuck E. Cheese feedback panel? If so enter your email address below. Otherwise click NEXT _________

Page 13

Thank you so much for your feedback! Please don't hesitate to forward the survey to any friends or fans who would like to share their feedback. We very much appreciate the support!

Page after Submitting

Thank you! You've already taken the survey!