Chuck E. Cheese is a childhood staple for many. Most people can probably reminisce on what it felt like to play arcade games, eat pizza, and watch the animatronics perform. But a TikToker’s revelation about the chain is apparently “ruining” childhoods.
While sitting in his car, TikTok user @sooperbeasto zooms in on a Chuck E. Cheese building across the street. The creator zooms in on the storefront’s name and logo. Underneath the famous mouse’s face are the words “Charles Entertainment Cheese?”
“You’re telling me all this time, ‘Chuck E. Cheese’ stood for ‘Charles Entertainment Cheese?’” @sooperbeast asks. “The [expletive]?”
The content creator further joked in the caption, “Chuck E.’s government name??”
The Daily Dot reached out to @sooperbeasto via TikTok comment and direct message as well as Chuck E. Cheese via press email.
A brutal letdown
The video amassed 1.6 million views. Viewers were let down by Chuck E. Cheese’s “government name.”
“My childhood is now ruined,” one viewer remarked.
“His middle name being Entertainment is what’s bothering me,” a second commented.
“I thought he was Charles Edward Cheese,” a third stated.
“The rebrand from rat to business man is crazy,” a fourth wrote.
@sooperbeasto Chuck E.’s government name?? #chuckecheese ♬ original sound – Beasto
It hasn’t always been Chuck E. Cheese
The fun pizza chain went through several name changes before settling on Chuck E. Cheese. According to Fast Company, the idea of an interactive arcade was created by Nolan Bushnell and launched in 1974.
Here are some of its previous names:
- Coyote Pizza (the mascot was also originally supposed to be a coyote)
- Rick Rat’s Pizza
- Big Cheese
- Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre
- Chuck E. Cheese’s
Now it’s just simply known as “Chuck E. Cheese.” The mascot also underwent changes. First he was a coyote. Then, he was a rat. Now he’s a mouse.
Various rebrands
In 2019, Chuck E. Cheese underwent a rebrand. Most millennials and even Gen Zers can probably recall the iconic Chuck E. Cheese logo where the mascot wore purple while giving a thumbs-up. However, in 2019, the company simplified the logo. Now it’s just a mouse’s face, giving the logo a “fresh, vibrant, and contemporary look,” according to its website.
The company rebranded once more following the pandemic. In an effort to attract the new generation, it poured $300 million into bidding farewell to the animatronics and modernizing its arcade.
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