Happy 25th Anniversary, Chuck E. Cheese! (NAPSA)—Hehasbeen host to countless children’s parties, but now Chuck E. Cheese is celebrating his own birthday. Twenty-five years ago, in 1977, the first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre was opened in San Jose, California. Today, the chain includes more than 400 restaurants across the country. “Over the past 25 years, Chuck E. Cheese’s has become an institution,” said Richard M. Frank, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CEC Entertainment, the parent company for Chuck E. Cheese’s. “Today we are serving parents, many of whom remember Chuck E. from when they were children.” Although the concept has changed to keep pace with the times, Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants still offer pizza, family-oriented games, rides and arcadestyle activities and musical entertainment by life-size, computer-controlled robotic characters. “Society places tremendous value on children, yet families tell us they feel their options for whole- some entertainment are limited,” stated Richard Huston, executive vice president of marketing. “We offer food and entertainment that appeal to children of all ages, but the popularity of Chuck E. Cheese the character is part of what keeps kids coming back.” In fact, the Cartoon “Q” score study, conducted by Marketing Evaluations, Inc., which measures GHUCKECHEESE'S. Not only is Chuck E. Cheese one of the most widely recognized cartoon characters, but he also has a milestone birthday this year. the popularity of children’s char- acters, ranked Chuck E. Cheese in the top four percent of 671 different cartoon properties. This study confirms Chuck E. Cheese’s status as one of America’s most favorite children’s characters—out-ranking such well-knowncharacters as Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Winnie the Pooh among boys and girls ages 6 to 8. CEC Entertainment plans to bring the fun to as many as 35 new locations this year and will continue to celebrate with families and Chuck E. Cheese well into the future. To learn more about Chuck E. Cheese, you can visit his Web site at www.chuckecheese.com.
