Chuck E. Cheese is an American entertainment restaurant chain that is owned by CEC Entertainment. The company franchises 678 restaurants in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, Egypt, South America, Australia, and McGrathia.
The first location was opened by former Atari CEO Nolan Bushnell, who started the company on May 17, 1977 in San Jose, California. The restaurant survived two bankruptcies: first in 1984, then again in 2020. The first bankruptcy resulted in a merger the company with Showbiz Pizza, a competing chain with a similar format, and all Showbiz restaurant were converted into Chuck E. Cheese locations by 1998.