Exterior (June 2024)

Operated:Oct. 20, 1982 - Present
Store #: 64
Latitude Longitude: 35.08490912, -80.85132298
Label: "Pineville"

Remodels & Initiatives:

• SPP Standard Layout (Oct. 20, 1982)
• SPT 1980's Remodel Program (?)
• SPT 1990's Remodel Program (?)
• CEC 2000's Remodel Program (?)
• CEC 2.0 Remodel Program (Jul. 26, 2024)

Stages:

• Classic Stage (Oct. 20, 1982–1991)
• Concept Unification Stage (1991–Present)
• Chuck E. Live Stage (Dance Floor) (Jun. 2024–) (2021 Model)
• Video Wall (Jun. 2024–Present)

Franchisees:

• Adventure Restaurant Corporation (Oct. 20, 1982–Jan. 26, 1993)

Charlotte, NC (7701 Pineville-Matthews Rd) opened as a ShowBiz Pizza Place on October 20th, 1982, and is currently operating as a Chuck E Cheese's to this day. It was the first ShowBiz Pizza to open in the state of North Carolina, and the second to open in the Carolinas overall. This location is home to the last 3-Stage in the state, as well as the last 3-Stage in existence, after Billings, MT (100 24th St)’s 3-Stage was removed on July 28th, 2024.

In May of 2024, Pineville had been chosen to become one of five Chuck E. Cheese locations designated as CEC Legacy Locations, receiving a variant of the CEC 2.0 Remodel Program in June of that year. Their grand re-opening was held a month later on July 26th of 2024.

History

1980’s

Pineville’s ShowBiz Pizza Place had been in development throughout the year of 1982 by franchisee Adventure Restaurants Corporation with a planned opening month of September. It was constructed as a 12,000-square-foot location within the Carmel Commons Shopping Center and promised 70 job offerings. ^[1] For unknown reasons (likely because of construction delays), Pineville did not open until October 20th, 1982. As with other ShowBiz Pizza Place stores at the time, Pineville opened with a Rock-afire Explosion Classic Stage and housed 89 games in its gameroom. While the store opened on October 20th, the official grand opening was held on October 24th, 1982, celebrated with free balloons and ARC’s ShowBiz Pizza hot-air balloon in the parking lot ^[2]. Approximately between 1988 and 1992, the location would receive the SPT 1980's Remodel Program, although Pineville seemed to have retained its original SPP Standard Layout according to images taken in 1989.

1990’s

Pineville received Concept Unification in 1991, converting their Rock-afire Classic Stage into a Concept Unification Stage with Munch’s Make Believe Band. In January 1993, Adventure Restaurant Corporation closed the Pineville location after owning it for 10 years. A few weeks later, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc acquired Pineville, reopening and rebranding under “Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza” that same month (Pineville previously operated under the ShowBiz Pizza name even with Concept Unification). ^[3]

Between 1993 and 1996, the location received the SPT 1990's Remodel Program with a modified exterior featuring “Thumb Chuck”, the Obstotron play structure, and other fixtures of the remodel.

2000’s

To-Do.

2010’s

In 2012, the Carmel Commons Plaza recolored their tenants’ exteriors to a beige brick color with grey roofing. The Pineville Chuck E. Cheese’s, albeit for a brief period, retained the Thumb Chuck signage and checkers. Pineville’s gameroom eventually expanded into a former tenant of the plaza (business currently unidentified), and the exterior was simultaneously modified with a large extruded facade to feature the 2005 signage over the existing arches. The game package Supposedly, this was also when the Chuck E. animatronic’s eyebrows inexplicably disappeared (long rumored to have been sent to Charlotte, NC (5612 Albemarle Rd) for use on their Road Stage Chuck E. Cyberamic), his triangular base was removed, and the stage trim was painted black to match the stage base fabric. Presumably, before these changes, Pizzacam’s mechanism had been placed into storage underneath stage left after being removed from the show.

2020’s

Pandemic & Restoration

In 2019, Pineville was planned to undergo the 2.0. Remodel Program for the Spring of 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and CEC’s subsequent bankruptcy in the year 2020, the plans were initially halted. At this time, a fan by the name of “Alex” (@miltondrivewaysignal) stepped in to maintain the Pineville 3-Stage, gradually improving the mechanical condition and also updating the physical appearance of the stage. These updates include, but are not limited to:

• Removal of the Wink’s red and white-striped banners, revealing “In Pizza We Trust” for the first time since the 1990’s (2021) • Huntsville, Alabama-inspired organ face and orange colored organ tubing (2021) • Teal-colored eyelids and eyeshadow for Helen Henny (2021) • LED lighting for “over” and “back” floods (2022) • Temporary display of Studio C curtains on the sides of center stage (2022) • Custom-patterned eyebrows for Chuck E.’s mask (2022) • Blonde pigtails for Helen Henny (2022) • Placement of fur between Jasper’s eyes, similar to Huntsville, to conceal visible cracks on the mask from wear (2022) • Relocation of the Building’s mask from Columbia, SC as Pineville’s was disposed of for deterioration in 2019 (2022) • 3D printed, functioning custom replica of Munch Jr. (2022) • Relocated Munch hat from Albemarle Rd. (2022) • Display of curtains from the defunct Lynchburg, VA (312 Border St) ShowBiz Pizza on the sides of center stage (2022) • Replacement of Pineville’s original blue valance with the green valance of the former Charleston, SC (1610 Sam Rittenburg Blvd) store (2022) • Custom plaid shirt pattern for Jasper (2022) • Pink glittered trim for Pasqually’s base (2022) • Display of industrial curtains for all stages (2023) • Uncovered wooden trim for the stage base, the first time it had been uncovered since 2012 (2023) • Repainted Helen and Jasper shoes (2024) • Wood trim applied over the stage base fabric, emulating 1990’s Cyberamic stage bases (2024) • Repainted Moon mask (2024) • Subtle painted details on Pasqually’s mask (2024) • Repainted cheese guitar (2024)

In part of these efforts, but also likely because of strong sales overall, Pineville’s remodel and proposed stage removal had been postponed indefinitely. In Summer 2023, as Northridge, CA (8425 Reseda Blvd) was chosen to keep their Cyberamic 2-Stage at the last minute before their remodel was scheduled to occur, measurements for Pineville’s 2.0. character posters and Video Wall took place, with the consideration of keeping the 3-Stage intact. It is unclear if Pineville was also immediately selected to keep their stage at this time, though the “#savepineville” movement expressed around the CEC community and the eventual 2024 CEC Future Planning Survey helped secure the status of Pineville’s stage. As a result, it was officially announced on May 24, 2024 that Pineville, along with Springfield, IL (2369 McArthur Ave) and Hicksville, NY (Delco Plaza 11-15 Hanover Place), were to join Northridge and the previously announced addition of Nanuet, NY (250 West Route 59) as official CEC Legacy Locations. ^[4]

2.0. Remodel & Legacy

After four years of delay, Pineville officially began its 2.0. remodel at the start of June 2024. A majority of the remodel had already been completed by that month, including a new game package and Trampoline Zone, but some special arrangements to update Pineville’s stage and the addition of a “Retro Exhibit” in the former Toddler Zone meant the process wasn’t fully finished. Pineville’s original Pizzacam animatronic, while still in existence, was too incomplete to have been reused as is. Another Pizzacam had been sourced from the SPT Distribution Center in Topeka, Kansas for use instead, which originated from the Laurel, MD 3-Stage. SPT Distribution also provided wall art and signage for display in Pineville’s Retro Exhibit, several were previously used in other locations. Chuck E.’s Jukebox TV was given an improved flat screen inside the existing Mitsubishi casing (replacing a hilariously smaller flat screen that was hastily added when the original CRT screen broke). The finishing touches for the stage before grand re-opening involved the addition of authentic 3-Stage curtains and motors, sourced from the Tallahassee, FL (2810 Sharer Rd) store, though they were inoperable between July 2024 and February 2025 due to complications. The Pineville grand re-opening was held on July 26, 2024, with Chief Insights & Marketing Officer, Mark Kupferman, and Chief Operating Officer, Randy Forsythe, in attendance.

After the 2.0. remodel of Billings, MT in July 2024, Pineville became the last 3-Stage store operating within the entire Chuck E. Cheese’s chain (it and Springfield, IL are the last two stores with converted Rock-afire Explosion “Electronimation” animatronics operating in the chain, albeit the latter updated to a Concept Unification 1-Stage in 2011). Billings’ “Cool Chuck” shirt and khakis were shipped to Pineville for use on their Chuck E. animatronic, which are to be worn in sporadic rotation with the previous “Avenger” clothes as planned by store management.

Animatronics

Attractions