Chuck E. Cheese is testing a tiered membership program in San Diego. It is the chain’s first-ever membership program and includes bronze, silver, and gold levels with pricing from $7.99-$29.99. Additional markets are expected to be tested this year.
Tiered benefits include:
- Bronze: Available for $7.99 per month and includes 70 Play Points, 200 e-tickets to be redeemed at the Prize Wall, and a 20% discount on food, drink and extra Play Points on every visit.
- Silver: Available for $11.99 per month and includes 115 Play Points, 300 e-tickets to be redeemed at the Prize Wall, and a 30% discount on food, drink and extra Play Points on every visit.
- Gold: Available for $29.99 per month and includes 300 Play Points, 1,000 e-tickets to be redeemed at the Prize Wall, and a 50% discount on food, drink and extra Play Points on every visit.
Benefits for all tiers also include one play card for each child in the family, play points and e-tickets and top up and refill each week, and surprises throughout the year, such as prizes. According to the company, the test comes following the success of the brand’s summer fun passes, first introduced three years ago. The passes program was also tiered.
“The new Chuck E. Cheese membership program is the easiest, most value-filled and kid-loved program of its kind,” Chief Insights and Marketing Officer Mark Kupferman said in a statement. “It allows families to visit as many times as they want year-round for one low monthly price, making visiting Chuck E. Cheese affordable for all our guests.”
In addition to the membership program pilot in San Diego, Chuck E. Cheese units in various markets in California will be upgraded as part of the brand’s ongoing remodel efforts. The goal is to have all locations enhanced by the end of this year. Enhancements to fun centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Diego include new games and technology upgrades, such as play passes and play bands, e-tickets instead of tokens and touchless payment.
The locations will also include a new entertainment component, with dance-alongs, lights and an interactive dance floor, and the chain’s new Trampoline Zones. Other upgrades made recently include new games, merchandise, technology, birthday party packages, prizes, and a new “Grown-Up Menu.” The brand is also offering new entertainment options outside the fun centers, including content on YouTube and music streaming platforms, as well as partnerships with brands like KIDZ BOP, KidoodleTV, Zigazoo Kids, and more.
The entertainment company continues to recover from a challenging pandemic, including a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2020. The company emerged from bankruptcy by January 2021 and has since hired several new executives, partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts to launch a LankyBox Kitchen concept, launched its first location-based licensing deal, and more. In December, rumors emerged that the Irving, Texas-based company was exploring a potential acquisition that could be worth over $1 billion. According to Technomic Ignite data, Chuck E. Cheese ended 2022 with about $348 million in sales and about 475 U.S. locations. Parent company CEC Entertainment also includes about 125 international Chuck E. Cheese locations, more than 120 Peter Piper Pizza locations and 400 Paqually’s Pizza & Wings virtual locations.
The company's subscription test is part of a broader trend in the industry. Sweetgreen, Panera, Taco Bell, Subway, and P.F. Chang’s have started experimenting with subscription programs for their most loyal customers.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]