Florence, KY (7635 Mall Rd)
7635 Mall Rd, Store #212/112 opened as a Pizza Time Theater location, and has operated from April 19, 1982, to the present as a Chuck E. Cheese.
The Florence, KY Pizza Time Theatre opened as a franchise under the Bernstein Restaurant Group until 2008 and has since undergone several remodels to eventually become a Chuck E. Cheese.
Stages
Florence opened as Kentucky's first Pizza Time Theatre on April 19th, 1982, with a Balcony Stage which was retained until the late 1980s before it was replaced with Chuck E.'s House; the stage remained in the store until 2003. During this timeframe between installation and the removal of Chuck E.'s House, the animatronic Helen was modified in Summer 2000 and received a complete makeover to fit standard Helen look at the time.
Hampton, VA's stage. which was owned by the same franchisee, relocated in May of 2002. Their 2-Stage was installed at Florence that same year. The Wink and curtains were not installed
The store received the "Cool Chuck" cosmetics around 2007, and removed the TV shell. In the fall of 2010, they received the 2005 Update of the 2003 "Cool Chuck" Reconfiguration / Major Remodel Initiative. The stage was relocated from the right wall to the store's back wall; two buildings were moved and the stage itself was rendered wider. The curtains were finally installed, although had ceased their function by this time.
In late 2017, the stage's old lightbulbs were replaced with LEDs, the TV was replaced with a flatscreen, and a small lightbox with a blue LED strip in it was added underneath aforementioned TV. The stage remained in this configuration until March 31, 2022, when the stage was removed for its new 2.0 remodel. The store now features a 2021 model Dance Floor and video wall.
Stage | Installed | Removed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Balcony Stage | April 1982 | Late 1980's | 1st Pizza Time Theatre in Kentucky. Installed on Right Side Wall. |
Chuck E.'s House | Late 1980's | 2003 | Only one installed in Kentucky. Installed on Right Side Wall. |
2-Stage | 2003 | March 31, 2022 | Show from the Hampton, VA (4027 W Mercury Blvd) location. Only 2-Stage installed in Kentucky. Installed on Right Side Wall, relocated to Back Wall during 2005 Update in Fall 2010. |
Dance Floor + Video Wall | March 2022 | Still In Use | 2021 Model. First 2021 2.0 in Kentucky. Installed on Back Wall. |
History
The Florence, KY location was opened on April 19, 1982 by The Bernstein Restaurant Group. The Balcony opened with guest star Harmony Howlette, and the Lounge with The King. The location had 60+ arcade games in the Fantasy Forest, a salad bar, and was similar to other store layouts of the time. The store received the 1988 Remodel package around the same time Chuck E.'s House was installed.
In the mid-90s the store installed the record posters in the showroom. In 2003, they received the 1998 Studio C art package; the oil paintings were replaced by Must C TV signage, and the record posters were moved to the wall left of the bathrooms. On August 25, 2008, the store became a corporate-owned location.
In Fall 2010, the store remodeled to the 2005 Update of the 2003 "Cool Chuck" Reconfiguration / Major Remodel Initiative. During the remodel, the entire showroom was shifted with the stage being moved from the right wall to the back wall. A smaller version of the Skytubes were added (and removed in 2017).
The store began its 2.0 remodel on March 14, 2022; the stage was removed on March 31, 2022. The store's grand reopening was May 10th, 2022 and included the Helen Henny walkaround as part of the festivities. As of its removal, Florence was the one of the last stores to have a PTT Jasper mask and was the last store in Kentucky to have a full MMBB Show.
Videos
Link | Description | Filming Date | Publish Date |
---|---|---|---|
link | Footage of Florence in 1998 | 1998 | October 9, 2015. |
link | Footage of Florence in 2000 | 2000 | November 27, 2020. |
link | Footage of Florence during January 2005 singing "Keep It Groovin'" | January 2005 | January 25, 2018 |
link | April 2013 Segment 2 at Florence. | April 2013 | June 28, 2013 |
link | Chuck E.'s Place 2017 prior to several aesthetic changes to the stage. | 2017 | August 13, 2017 |
link | Store Tour from August 2017 | August 13, 2017 | August 16, 2017 |
link | Gamin' Time prior to several aesthetic changes to the stage. | August 13, 2017 | April 19, 2022 |
link | Store Tour right after an updated game package. | September 15, 2018 | October 6, 2018 |
link | A video showcasing the 2-Stage with decorations form Bootacular 2021 | October 9, 2021 | October 9, 2021 |
link | Footage of the show after being removed | April 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 |
link | The Remodeling Process | March-April 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
link | Documentation of Florence's history. | May-June 2022 | June 3, 2022 |
Gallery
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Florences Exterior in 2005[1]
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The Gameroom next to the entrance of the store [2]
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The right wall of the Gameroom.[3]
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The Toddler Zone.[4]
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More Gameroom.[5]
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Menu at Florence.[6]
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Full Stage shot in 2005.[7]
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Last known photo of Chuck E.'s House Helen. Taken March 2000.[8]
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Last known photo of the 2-Stage at Florence. Taken March 27, 2022.
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Florence after day 1 of stage removal. Taken March 31, 2022.
Animatronics
Animatronic | Serial / Manufacturing Date | Whereabouts |
---|---|---|
Chuck E Cheese (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Removed in 2000s for 2-Stage, mechs were sent to USS Nightmare (Owned by the same owners) |
Guest Star / Helen Henny (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Removed in 2000s for 2-Stage, body was sent to Eastgate to convert Rocker Helen into standard helen. head got sent to USS Nightmare (Owned by the same owners) |
Mr. Munch (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Removed in 2000s for 2-Stage, mechs were sent to USS Nightmare (Owned by the same owners) |
Jasper T. Jowls (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Removed in 2000s for 2-Stage, mechs were sent to USS Nightmare (Owned by the same owners) |
Pasqually (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Warblettes (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Applause Board (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Drum Board (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Flag Wavers (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Singing Flowers (Cyberamic) | Late 1980's | Unknown/Destroyed |
The King / King Kat (Lounge) | 1982 | Unknown/Destroyed |
Chuck E Cheese (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Originally from Hampton, VA. Removed in March 2022 |
Guest Star / Helen Henny (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Originally from Hampton, VA. Removed in March 2022 |
Mr. Munch (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Originally from Hampton, VA. Removed in March 2022 |
Jasper T. Jowls (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Originally from Hampton, VA. Removed in March 2022 |
Pasqually (Cyberamic) | 1982 | Originally from Hampton, VA. Removed in March 2022 |
Trivia
- Before the store was bought out by Corporate, Florence was Store #212 according to the old chuckecheese.com website from 2007. It was renumbered to Store #112 when Corporate bought out the store. The store number will be reused for the upcoming Whitter, CA (13400 Whittier Blvd) location.
References
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0008.png/
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0012.png/
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0011.png
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0004.png
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0022.png
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0015.png
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/CECflorenece-ky-2005-2021-photos/FloreneceKy2005-2007Photos0013.png
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb_BmWqPxny/