Fargo, ND (1202 Nodak Dr)

1202 Nodak Dr, Store #2068/209 was a Chuck E. Cheese’s that opened on February 8, 1984, as a franchised ShowBiz Pizza Place with a Rock-afire Explosion and closed on March 18, 2024⁽¹⁾

History

1202 Nodak Dr Fargo ND, was a Chuck E. Cheese franchise store, owned by Great Plains Associates along with its sister store, Billings MT (100 24th St) before it was bought out by Chuck E. Cheese Corporate in late 2022. Opening as a Showbiz Pizza Place on February 8th, 1984. Fargo was one of 7 stores planned by Great Plains Associates. With other locations planned to be in, Bismarck, ND. Grand Forks, ND, Duluth, MN, Winnipeg, MB, and Saint Paul, MN. Due to the cost of opening stores, only Fargo and Billings were opened. While they kept the licensing to build in the other areas, they never had any plans to build. Just to keep “competition” away from the area. The location participated in The Amazing Uncle Klunk Traveling Show and an unknown Santa event- though likely the Santa On Stage Show 1983 event.⁽²⁾ In 1986, Fargo participated in Creative Engineering's Statue of Liberty, 100th anniversary promotion. Swapping out Rolfe’s stage to the fan-dubbed, ‘Liberty Stage.’ It is uncertain how long Fargo kept this promotion, and if The Statue of Liberty swap was used in following years. Like many ShowBiz locations in the late 1980s, Fargo received the Showbiz Pizza Campground upgrade. In 1991, Fargo would receive Concept Unification, converting the show to Munch’s Make Believe Band, then in 1998 Fargo received the 1990s Major Remodel and the Phase 2 Game Package, remaining that way until 2009 which is when they received the 2005 Update to the 2003 'Cool Chuck' Reconfiguration / Major Remodel Initiative which involved removing the Showroom Walls, balcony Seating, and redoing the entire left hand side of the store, only leaving the Pickup Window. Them along with Billings, MT (100 24th St W)|Billings, MT were one of the first locations to switch to Pepsi in the 2000s. In 2022 Fargo's franchise owners sold out to corporate after years of stubbornness in retaliations to corporate trying to persuade them to sell. This sell out also caused the store to lose all of its’ original managers. Having to start anew with a new group of employees during the shift to corporate. On the night of December 5th, 2022, Fargo's stage would be ripped out and destroyed in exchange for the 2021 Model Dance Floor and Video Wall. The store art wasn't taken out leaving the CEC 2005 Remodel Program walls, posters, and the Phase 2 Confetti posters near the bathrooms. The store celebrated their grand reopening on December 28th, 2022⁽³⁾. This location kept the 'Chuck E Cheese's' sign from CEC 2005 Remodel Program until the location closed. The location would permanently close abruptly on March 18th, 2024, leaving many without a job. The nearest store is St. Cloud, MN.

Stages

Fargo opened with the Rock afire Explosion in 1984. Unfortunately, there are hardly any photos or videos to exist of Fargo with the Rock afire, or as a ShowBiz in general. But there is a photo of its original exterior. In October 1991, Fargo received Concept Unification, converting the Rock afire into Munch’s Make-Believe Band. In December 2022, Fargo started the 2.0 Remodel, removing the 3-Stage and adding a Dance Floor + Video Wall. On March 18th, 2024, the store would permanently close.

Stage	Installed	Removed	Notes
Rock-Afire Explosion	February 1984	October 1991	Only ShowBiz in North Dakota.
3-Stage	October 1991	December 2022	Only 3-Stage in North Dakota.
Dance Floor + Video Wall	December 2022	March 2024	Received 2.0 shortly after being bought out by Corporate. 2021 Model.

Animatronics

Character	Serial	Status
Chuck E. Cheese / Rolfe DeWolfe	1-83 1-5	Destroyed
Pasqually / Dook Larue	1-83 2-5	Destroyed
Mr. Munch / Fatz Geronimo	1-83 3-5	Destroyed
Jasper T. Jowls / Beach Bear	1-83 4-5	Destroyed
Helen Henny / Mitzi Mozzarella	1-83 5-5	Destroyed
Billy Bob	1-83 6-5	Destroyed
Pizzacam / Looney Bird	1-83 7-5	Destroyed
Munch Jr. / Choo Choo	1-83 8-5	Destroyed
Building / Sun	1-83 10-5	Unknown
Moon	1-83 11-5	Unknown
Antioch	N/A	Destroyed
Wink	N/A	Taken by corporate

Videos

Link	Description	Filming Date
link	Birthday party in the showroom, with 3-Stage playing Birthday Star '98	March 28, 2000
link	News footage of the closure and employee testimonies.	March 19, 2024

Trivia

• Before Corporate renumbered Franchised locations to four-digit store numbers in 2010, Fargo's current store number (209) was used for the Fayetteville, NC (511 North McPherson Church Rd) location; In 2010, it was renumbered to Store #3212 which they still have to this day. It's unknown if Fargo had a three-digit store number before 2010.
• In the 80's Fargo and Billings did a franchise remodel, replacing carpet and painting over the iconic orange ShowBiz wall stripes with a blue palette.