Darien, IL (7409 Cass Ave)

Exterior of the Darien, IL CEC.

7409 Cass Ave, Store #685 is a Chuck E. Cheese's located in Darien, Illinois.

This location opened as a ShowBiz Pizza Place on February 24, 1981, and is still open today with the 2.0 remodel.

Stages

Darien opened with The Rock-afire Explosion. Their original show was made in October 1980, however, their show was replaced in 1985 with Benton Harbor, MI's show, an April 1982 show.

In the late 80s the store would receive the Showbiz Pizza Campground retrofit before undergoing Concept Unification in November 1991.

Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, Darien's show was in the average condition for a 3-Stage at the time. However, Darien was in a state of disrepair from around 2009-2011. It was repaired substantially in 2012, and was in pretty good condition, until 2015 when most movements stopped working, and Pasqually notoriously only had about three functional movements during this period.

In late 2019, major repairs on the stage began. Chuck E., Munch, and Jasper were almost fully functional, with Helen and Pasqually slowly improving. But, during this time, the compressor that ran the show began to have major issues. It started breaking down often, and eventually by January 2020, did not work at all.

In January 2020 the show received a Studio C compressor, which could only operate Chuck E. This would cause the rest of the show to be completely unfunctional aside from the lighting.

In June 2020, it was decided by the district managers that Darien would be receiving the Studio C show from the Joliet, IL which remodeled earlier that year. On June 30th, 2020, the center stage characters and backdrops were removed. The same day, Joliet's animatronic and backdrops were installed on the stage. By July 6th, 2020, the new stage was functional. Later that month, curtains were put up on stage left and right, and Chuck E. and Pasqually were removed from their stages.

The show would be heavily documented by a cast member that went by the online alias "showbizpizzafan". He would also go on to dub the show "Studio 3" in the comments of one of the first reveals of the stage.

In June 2023, the CU Beta 16m was removed for the 2021 Dance Floor and Video Wall.

History

Darien's Showbiz Pizza Place opened on February 24, 1981, in an unnamed shopping center whose main tenant is currently a Jewel-Osco. They at first had a Rock-afire Explosion that was produced in October 1980.

In the late '80s, they received the standard SPT remodel and shortly after Darien underwent a Major Remodel in the mid '90s, removing older artwork for new artwork, and renovating the store majorly.

Darien underwent the 2003 "Cool Chuck" Reconfiguration / Major Remodel Initiative in 2008 which involved removing the showroom walls, balcony seating, replacing lighting, and replacing the artwork.

Around 2014, Darien replaced their 90s exterior signage with 2013 signage. Between June 30, 2020, and July 6, 2020, they removed the 3-Stage for the CU Beta 16m. In June 2023, the location received the Refresh package of the 2017 2.0 Remodel Program, removing the CU Beta 16m for the 2021 model Dance Floor and Video Wall. The grand re-opening occurred on August 17th, 2023.

Videos

Link	Description	Filming Date
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGFwftGeS0	Beatle's White Album. Filmed very shortly after the show was replaced with Benton Harbor's show.	1985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erg3Eg3d-E8	Birthday Party	1987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZw8K_WM1V8	Liberty Show	1988
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3mKXDImQQ	Features an exterior shot of the building	1990/91
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff3JCFezLSc	Not long before CU	1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG0enHEg-Pg	A video from after CU	1993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ziru7PLxk	Store Tour from February 2022	February 18, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5swGVUz4eds	A closeup of the stage	November 22, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BOZ0x5b0qHM	Chuck E. & Helen at the Grand Reopening outside the store	August 17, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7pgqOX55iiY	Chuck E. & Helen at the Grand Reopening at Kid Check	August 17, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OOCOXvnG31U	Grand Reopening Ceremony	August 17, 2023

Gallery

• 
  A Fan in the Early 80's Dressed as Mitzi
• 
  Feburary 83
• 
  Feburary 83
• 
  Feburary 83
• 
  New Billy Bob Costume
• 
  Center Stage 1988
• 
  Billy Bob and Looney Bird, Late 80's

Animatronics

Animatronic	Serial Code	Whereabouts
Rolfe DeWolfe	10-80 1-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Dook Larue	10-80 2-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Fatz Geronimo	10-80 3-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Beach Bear	10-80 4-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Mitzi Mozzarella	10-80 5-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Billy Bob	10-80 6-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Looney Bird	10-80 7-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Choo Choo	10-80 8-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Sun	10-80 10-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Moon	10-80 11-5	Unknown / Destroyed
Antioch	N/A	Unknown / Destroyed
Chuck E. Cheese / Rolfe DeWolfe	4-82 1-8	Owned by a private collector. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Pasqually / Dook Larue	4-82 2-8	Owned by Showbiz Midwest. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Mr. Munch / Fatz Geronimo	4-82 3-8	Owned by a private collector. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Jasper T. Jowls / Beach Bear	4-82 4-8	Owned by LKD Animatronics. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Helen Henny / Mitzi Mozzarella	4-82 5-8	Owned by a private collector. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Billy Bob	4-82 6-8	Unknown / Destroyed. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Pizzacam / Looney Bird	4-82 7-8	Owned by Jojo King. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Munch Jr. / Choo Choo	4-82 8-8	Unknown / Destroyed. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Building / Sun	4-82 10-8	Owned by a private collector. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Moon	4-82 11-8	Unknown / Destroyed. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Antioch	N/A	Unknown / Destroyed. Originally from Benton Harbor, MI.
Wink	N/A	Owned by a private collector.
Chuck E. Cheese 16m (Animatronic)	N/A	Destroyed. Originally from Joliet, IL (3250 Chicagoland Circle).