Chuck E. Cheese is Serving Pizzas Under a New Name on Delivery Platforms

Chuck E. Cheese, the iconic children’s restaurant and arcade franchise, is known for a lot of things — birthday parties, ball pits and animatronic bands chief among them — but its food has never been a primary selling point. So where does that leave the brand in the time of coronavirus, when dine-in establishments are closed across the country and restaurants are turning to takeout and delivery to reach customers?

Conceding that the brand doesn’t have a lot, or at least enough, fans loyal to the food alone, Chuck E. Cheese quietly rolled out a new brand to serve pizza to customers through third-party delivery platforms.

The sly rebrand was originally discovered by a Reddit user, then quickly reported in Food & Wine (under a headline that fundamentally misunderstands the nature of franchising, by the way), which confirmed the move with the franchise.

> "CEC Entertainment, Inc. recently launched Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings nationwide. The inspiration was rooted in the desire to create a premium pizza while staying true to the CEC brand," a Chuck E. Cheese spokesperson told Food & Wine via email. "Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, named after another favorite member of Munch's Make Believe Band, shares kitchen space with the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, ensuring high-quality, fresh ingredients. Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings’ recipes use fresh, homemade pizza dough, just like Chuck E. Cheese, but it is a different pizza that features a thicker crust and extra sauce, giving consumers a more flavorful, more premium pizza experience. While Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings recipes are currently only available for delivery, select items might be added to the Chuck E. Cheese menu in the future."

Of course, Chuck E. Cheese is not the only franchise to take advantage of third-party delivery to introduce multiple brands. Absolute Brands, the new parent company of Dog Haus has introduced eight new virtual brands, all operating out of existing kitchens.