Updated June 28, 2025 9:04pm EDT
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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A new arcade with a nostalgic twist just opened at the Mall of Georgia.
Chuck’s Arcade brings the Chuck E. Cheese brand to an older crowd, according to the company’s senior vice president.
Grand opening
What we know:
The new storefront combines retro games, Chuck E. Cheese classics and new technology to entertain older kids, teens and young adults.
Skee-Ball machine at Chuck’s in the Mall of Georgia on June 27, 2025.
Walking into the store, the sound of Skee-Ball and air hockey battled the noise of music at the grand opening of Chuck’s Arcade on Friday.
Dozens of people played claw machine games, retro video games like Dig Dug, and new VR games.
The VIPs at the event, and customers who came in following it, loved the arcade’s offerings. It was obvious, because customers put their phones away and engaged with the games.
Bringing back the old
What we know:
One of the key features at Chuck’s, visible to any passerby in the mall, is the retro Chuck E. animatronic in a case.
Chuck’s staff said they will place the vintage items at locations around the country.
Most of the people FOX 5 staff saw at the event appeared to be in Chuck’s demographic: older teens and young adults. Some kids were there, but not many.
Like the original, players earn tickets by playing games at Chuck’s, and the prizes are meant to appeal to a wide range of ages.
Prize Hub at Chuck’s in the Mall of Georgia on June 27, 2025.
In the prize hub, there were Funko Pops!, plush stuffed animals, moon lights, Bluetooth speakers and more.
The arcade also has a retail store where shoppers can buy Chuck’s and Chuck E. Cheese-themed merchandise.
What they’re saying:
“We’ve seen a lot of people very excited about our legacy locations,” said Mark Kupferman, Chuck E. Cheese’s senior vice president. “We found that there’s a love for this old game and old experiences that people had growing up.”
Kupferman said the company is going back to its roots for this spin-off.
“This is what we’re good at. We’re the biggest buyer of games in the world,” said Kupferman.
Kupferman said kids are welcome at Chuck’s but that’s not the clientele it will appeal to most. He said the chain worked hard to bring “the chance to play some of your old favorites is what we wanted to offer.”
“It’s going to be a unique experience you won’t see in the more modern places. It will, hopefully, bring them back to the old experience,” said Kupferman.
Some differences
Dig deeper:
One of the key differences between Chuck’s and Chuck E. Cheese is that the games are made for adults.
The game consoles are higher off the ground, and the games are a little more difficult.
The Buford location doesn’t offer food or drink, but some of the Chuck’s locations, like in Kansas City, provide the pizza served at Chuck E. Cheese.
Other locations include California, Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, New York and Texas.
Helping the company
By the numbers:
Chuck’s Arcade opens as its parent company is recovering from a financial setback during the pandemic.
Chuck E. Cheese got its start in 1977, when Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell opened Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California. The restaurant featured a cast of animatronic characters led by Chuck E. Cheese, a plucky rat in a bowler hat that was later rebranded as a mouse. “Where a kid can be a kid,” the chain promised in its tagline.
But in recent years the chain has struggled. Newer competitors like Dave & Buster’s offered bigger venues, while trampoline parks like Launch and AirTime offered party alternatives.
In 2020, Chuck E. Cheese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing COVID-19. Since then, the chain has renovated its original locations, getting rid of animatronics and other staples from the past.
That’s something the company said it will use at Chuck’s. “You’re going to see one of our old animatronic characters and see old games, but once you’re in the experience, you’re going to see the newest, hottest games,” he said.
Change in players
By the numbers:
This return to the past also comes as more adults than ever are playing video games.
The average age for a video game player is 36.
The Entertainment Software Association reports that 29% of Americans over 50 play video games. That’s up from 17% in 2004.
Forty-seven percent of people ages 18-50 play video games, according to ESA.
The only age group playing fewer video games than 20 years ago is those under 18.
ESA reports 24% of people under 18 play video games now. That number was 34% in 2004.
The Source: Information in this article came from reporting by FOX 5’s Sam Daniel. That included interviews with the senior vice president of Chuck E. Cheese, Chuck’s PR representative and guests at a VIP event at Chuck’s in the Mall of Georgia. A FOX 5 staff member received complimentary access to Chuck’s while reporting this story. Information about the bankruptcy came from previous FOX 5 reporting. Information about video game statistics came from the Entertainment Software Association.
