Studio C Cappa

The Small-Town Studio C (known to the CEC community as the Studio C Cappa) is a stage type found at Chuck E. Cheese's locations that opened with the stage from 2003 to 2006, or replaced a previous stage from 2003 to 2009. A total of 63 were installed, and as of January 2023, 28 remain in operation, solely in the United States, although 1 was installed in Canada, but the location (Kingston, Ontario) closed in 2015.

History

In 2002, Chuck E. Cheese's would begin testing a new store format known officially as "Small-Town CEC" stores at three locations. Those being Waco, TX, Lake Jackson, TX and Dover, DE. These would feature a stage called the Small-Town Studio C Prototype which lacked the animatronic. This test then failed and eventually would be modified into what is now known as the Small-Town Studio C.

Beginning in 2003, a revised version of the small-town store concept would debut with the Joplin, MO location, which opened its doors on July 22, 2003. The version stage would be installed at seven stores from July 22, 2003 till September 30, 2003 when the final V1 Cappa was installed at Muskegon, MI. In November 2003 Version 2 of the Studio C Cappa would begin being installed across thirty three stores firstly at Tuscaloosa, AL in November 2003 till early/mid 2005 when it was lastly installed at Evansville, IN. Starting in 2004/2005 at the Lewisville, TX store CEC Entertainment would begin installing stages that combined parts of the Cappa with some fixtures of the Beta. This would be installed at twenty two locations across various locations from 2004/2005 - October 30, 2006. The final Studio C Cappa would open with the New Hartford, NY (now closed) location on October 30th, 2006. The final Studio C Cappa to be installed would be the Alexandria, Louisiana (now 2.0) location in 2009.

While it's official name according to documents is "Small-Town Studio C", a large majority of the CEC community refers to this stage as "Studio C Cappa", in which the name comes from the Greek alphabet, as a result of the stage being the third major Studio C stage to be produced (not counting the Studio C Prototype and Small-Town Studio C Prototype stages.), even though Cappa (actually spelled Kappa) is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, while Alpha (Studio C Alpha) and Beta (Studio C Beta) are the 1st and 2nd letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively.

Design

Small-Town Studio C V1

The V1 Small-Town Studio C reused parts of the buffet stage whilst bringing a new stage design for Chucks stage. The new design would show a mirror with three rope lights behind the 16m Chuck E. Cheese. The animatronic sat atop an angular, trapezoidal stage with no curtains with the flood lights moved to the spot light bar. Next to Chuck E. was a large platform which all of the elements of the Studio C Beta were condensed into; up top were three 24" rear projection monitors lined up evenly next to each other and below that was a small but wide blue screen with a trapezoidal carpet mat on the floor. For additional lighting the spot light bar had the CEC Spot, three floods, Gemini, Warp, Strobe, Applause and On the Air.

Waco received a unique set up instead of the blue screen it used the same material seen on the stage with the "CEC" letters put on top of it to the left and right it featured two sets of three rope lights. A total of 7 V1 Small-Town Studio C's were installed, with 3 remaining as of January 2023, those are Joplin, Missouri (First store to open with Small-Town Studio C, possibly first or second Small-Town Studio C, as Waco, Texas replaced their Small-Town Studio C Prototype at the same time), Jackson, Tennessee (second store to open with Small-Town Studio C, and last Small-Town Studio C in Tennessee), and Goldsboro, North Carolina (Second-last V1 Small-Town Studio C installed, one of 3 left in North Carolina.)

Small-Town Studio C V2

This design was the second to come out in November 2003, with some changes firstly being the backdrop, it was changed from a mirror, to a spiral shape with lights in it that extends to the wall next to it on the right. The animatronic sat atop an angular, trapezoidal stage with no curtains with the flood lights moved to the spot light bar. Next to Chuck E. was a large platform which all of the elements of the Studio C Beta were condensed into; up top were three 24" rear projection monitors lined up evenly next to each other and below that was a small but wide blue screen with a trapezoidal carpet mat on the floor. For additional lighting the spot light bar had the spot light for Chuck E., two floods, the Gemini, and strobe light.

Small-Town Studio C V3

The final design removed the trapezoidal stage and extended swirl pattern replacing them with what the Studio C Beta looked like. complete with lights and backdrop and working curtains until early 2006 when fake curtains began being installed. The Blue Screen design remained the same as it was in v2. The additional lighting was the same as v2. The final Small-Town Studio to open would be the New Hartford, New York location (Closed in 2020), with theirs being a V3. The last Small-Town Studio C to be installed was Alexandria, Louisiana in 2009.

Current Small-Town Studio C's

Location	Version	Year Installed	Condition / Notes
Joplin, MO	V1	2003	First Store to open with Small-Town Studio C, Either First or Second installed. Oldest Cappa. One of 2 Cappas in Missouri
Jackson, TN	V1	2003	2nd oldest Small-Town Studio C. Last Cappa in Tennessee. Second store to open with Small-Town Studio C.
Goldsboro, NC	V1	2003	One of 4 Cappas installed in North Carolina (6 in the Carolinas).
Janesville, WI	V2	2003	Only in Wisconsin
Sherman, TX	V2	2003
Hemet, CA	V2	2003	Last in California.
Albany, GA	V2	2003	Only in Georgia.
Rocky Mount, NC	V2	2003	One of 4 Cappas installed in North Carolina (6 in the Carolinas).
Muncie, IN	V2	2003	One of 4 Cappas installed in Indiana.
Kokomo, IN	V2	2004	One of 4 Cappas installed in Indiana.
Las Cruces, NM	V2	2004	Only Cappa in New Mexico, last Studio C and last animatronic show in the state.
Asheville, NC	V2	2004	One of 4 Cappas installed in North Carolina (6 in the Carolinas).
Hattiesburg, MS*	V3	2004	Only in Mississippi. * = Originally V2 Cappa.
Sumter, SC	V2	2004	One of 2 Cappas installed in South Carolina (6 in the Carolinas).
Salisbury, MD	V2	2004	One of 2 Cappas in Maryland.
Longview, TX	V2	2004
Dothan, AL	V2	2004	Last Cappa in Alabama as Decatur upgraded to a Beta at some point and Tuscaloosa closed due to a tornado. One of three Cappas installed in Alabama.
College Station, TX	V2	2004
Columbus, IN	V2	2004	One of 4 Cappas installed in Indiana.
Yuma, AZ	V2	2004	Only Cappa in Arizona
Lake Jackson, TX	V3	2005/6	Former Small-Town Studio C Prototype.
Dover, DE	V3	2005	Only Cappa in Delaware. Former Small-Town Studio C Prototype
Hagerstown, MD	V3	2005	One of 2 Cappas in Maryland.
Victoria, TX	V3	2005
Greensburg, PA	V3	2005	One of 3 Cappas installed in Pennsylvania.
Abilene, TX	V3	2005
Ellisville, MO	V3	2005	One of 2 Cappas in Missouri.