The Adult Arcade: Two Trends Converging
We’ve covered the rise of eatertainment. Multi-location (MULO) brands have discovered that incorporating entertainment, sports challenges (sportainment), and activities into their converging retail and restaurant models enables them to appeal to a vast and growing segment of the market.
Add to that model the newstalgia trend (a mash-up of new and nostalgia). Brands are combining memorable popular experiences with new twists to appeal to the next generation of consumers, as well as those who enjoy memories of their youth.
So, it makes complete sense that a Chuck-E-Cheese, a brand known for pizza, arcade games, and animatronic entertainment, is launching Chuck’s Arcade.
These locations will include kids’ and teens’ favorite pastimes, along with adult beverages. Says Vice in a recent article:
“Chuck’s Arcade is more of a nostalgia trap for millennials and Gen Xers who have fond memories of wasting several hundred dollars’ worth of their parents’ quarters at arcades. This nostalgic bent is reflected in the games it’ll have on hand, which include classics like Donkey Kong and Mortal Kombat. It will also include a Halo arcade game.”
The first ten locations in shopping malls around the U.S. are:
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Trumbull, Connecticut
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Victor, New York
- Buford, Georgia
- El Paso, Texas
- Nashua, New Hampshire
- Salem, New Hampshire
- St. Louis, Missouri
A California location is also under development, according to recent reports. The locations will each feature different games. Retro-themed merchandise, apparel, and even prize redemption items are part of the model for some venues. Some arcades will serve the brand’s signature pizza as well as beer
Chuck-E-Cheese has also been investing in upgrades to its kids’ brand. Emerging from bankruptcy five years ago, the company is investing in upgrades to both its features and technology. Discounts, upgraded subscription passes, jumbotron displays, and digital ordering are among the improvements. The kid-focused website even includes a “Chuckbot” to answer basic questions.
This is an excellent example of a brand that’s almost 50 years old (and has faced financial challenges) that’s innovating as well as investing in its core brand to remain relevant!
Want to learn more about new brand categories and companies that have turned themselves around, as well as the latest technologies and creative approaches that help them succeed? Join us at Street Fight LIVE 2025 in LA on September 30th.
