WENT TO ROCKFORD, IL CEC-ROCKER SHOW YESTERDAY

[TreyTX]

Hey everyone, I was in the area and went to the Rockford, IL CEC yesterday. I shot some short footage and took a couple of pics with my camera and hope to load them shortly. Unlike most stores that are either free standing or in power centers this one was in an office building of sort. You had to enter the building of the office building to enter CEC. This store must be low volume as it had games I haven't seen in years (Bozo, Knock Down, Barbie & Ken, old skee ball lanes, etc) and the store was very small about 7,000 sq ft at best. The store was an original PTT set up and there were no tables in the game room area as there was no room and maybe 3 tables in the kiddie area...not much for sky tubes and tey were not connected to the ceiling but to the floor...very low ceilings. The front of the store still had PTT lighting in the order area. Besides a paint job of new colors the rocker stage has not been touched. CEC still has the derby hat and his yellow/red shirt. Jasper's banjo and shirt were updated and there was a new Helen bot (same as current CEC Helen's). The two TVs that were on either side of the stage were very old large screent TVs like from the 80s. The whole thing looked very vintage like something you would see at a shooting gallery at a theme park. They for sure use the same tape as all the other stores as the character's were programmed to look at each other but here would look away (ie: Munch would look at the wall and CEC would look the opposite direction when speaking to Munch.

[captslappy]

Did they still have the flowers under Pasqually's window?

[CEC3066]

Munch has flowers too.

[captslappy]

Ok, I have seen video of a rocker stage and Munch didn't have any in that particular set up, just Pasqually but it seems like most probably would have had flowers on both sides for balance.

[MMBBfan327]

Can't wait to see pics from Rockford!

[CEC3066]

so this store also got grid of Helen's swing that she used to sit on?

[dheineCECfan]

Trey: Nice recap of a visit to a CEC in Rockford, IL that's in an office building (I know a fancy restaurant in one of the Chicago surburbs called Magnum's (formerly Rupert's 33 Steaks) that you have to enter into an office building to get to) and has old school arcade games plus a still working CEC show Rocker stage from the late 1980's even when this Rockford, IL CEC location can't afford to replace this crown jewel with a Studio C show!

Also: I wonder if the CEC location in Rockford, IL opened in the 1980's as a CECPTT...

[MMBBfan327]

Wouldn't it of had to if it has a Rocker stage?

[CEC3066]

Not necessarily, the Irving Tx store that had the rocker stage opened in the late 80's.

[oldgamefan]

Also: I wonder if the CEC location in Rockford, IL opened in the 1980's as a CECPTT...

Hi, all -- I've greatly enjoyed reading the forums.

The current CEC in Rockford (on E. State) opened as a Showbiz Pizza, and wasn't remodeled into a CEC until the late 80's. While I went to that Showbiz frequently as a youngster (I could ride my bike to it!), I actually haven't seen it as a Chuck E Cheese, since I moved away shortly after the switchover -- I still remember it as housing the Rock-a-fire Explosion.

Rockford did have a PTT, way out on N 2nd St. in Loves Park. It was much larger than the Showbiz, had the balcony show, and had a lounge with The King.

[pasqually82]

Thanks for that interesting information oldgamefan. I always wondered what this location first opened as. I never knew that it first opened as a Showbiz pizza because it does have that feeling originally being a PTT.

Do you know whereabouts the PTT was located in Loves Park? What was the nearest cross road of 2nd street where it was located? I would like to see if that building is still standing.

[pizzacam]

Wow, ok so those stories aren't bogus after all...I've heard about Showbiz Pizza's WITH a Rock-afire becoming CEC's and ditching the RAE and even vice versa! I wish there was more info about this(former managers, paperwork, etc...) :nerd: :nerd:

[oldgamefan]

Do you know whereabouts the PTT was located in Loves Park? What was the nearest cross road of 2nd street where it was located? I would like to see if that building is still standing.

It was at N 2nd and Windsor, on the north end "appendage" of the mini-mall that used to have Loves Park's Union Hall store at the south end (Union Hall got turned into a Big Lots). There used to be a video store in a separate building in the parking lot in front of it, dunno if any of it is still there.

[3stagelover]

I wish that you had some pictures of that store, that would have been cool.

[pasqually82]

It was at N 2nd and Windsor, on the north end "appendage" of the mini-mall that used to have Loves Park's Union Hall store at the south end (Union Hall got turned into a Big Lots). There used to be a video store in a separate building in the parking lot in front of it, dunno if any of it is still there.


Thanks for that info. I will have to drive by there and see if any reflection of a PTT building is still there. I am not too far from that intersection so I will check it out. Like I said, I always thought that the CEC on East State Street was the only CECPTT or SPP in Rockford. Good to know that there was an actual PTT in Rockford back in the days.

[MMBBfan327]

Are you for real!?! Wow, Rockford does NOT look like a SPP that totally boggles my mind! Especially the showroom factor...it's so puny for an RAE!

[pasqually82]

Yeah, that was my thinking as well. This store does look like it could have been a PTT. Even the showroom has the feeling of being a PTT in it's past. This store has me being real curious about it's past now.

[oldgamefan]

I wish that you had some pictures of that store, that would have been cool.

None that I'm aware of, but if I find some while visiting the parents, I'll let you know. No paperwork or managerial information either (I was far too young for that). Just vivid memories of the show and the Centuri Time Tunnel (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=10215) machine they had there for a while (I've never seen one anywhere else).

[pasqually82]

Hay guys! I have some information for the future of the Rockford CEC. I was there last night, my usual Friday night visit at 9:30 so there is no one in the place which is nice! Anyway, I was there watching the show and the manager came up to me and said I was the only one that he saw ever really paying attention to the show. I told him a little about myself and my interst with the shows and the history of everything. He was rather suprised with my knowledge of CEC and it's history.

Anyway, the Rockford CEC plans on moving it's location within the next year and a half. For those of you familiar with the Rockford area, the store has plans to move further east on State Street and I-90 near the Clock Tower. This part of Rockford is a newly developed part of the city and is really growing. Once he said this, my main concern was what is going to happen with the stage and the current characters.

He said the corporate plans on keeping the stage because they consider it an "Antique". I disagree with the use of this term for the stage, but anyway. He said that corporate wants to keep it due to it's nostalgia and because it would cost close to million $ to install a Studio C in the newly planned CEC. This was the figure he gave me, there are probably some of you out there that would know the cost of Studio C. I am not a big fan of Studio C, so I wouldn't know the cost or anything else about. But he said the cost was one of the reason why the Rocker Stage is still there. But, he did say the store plans of keeping this stage and fixing it up. WOW! I really couldn't believe my ears when he told me this. I have to give major Kudos to CEC for this decision.

As far as finding out any additional information regarding this location being a Showbiz Pizza Place, he had no knowledge of this. So, I couldn't find out anything really about the store's history.

So, as soon as I find out any other information, I will post it.

[MMBBfan327]

Sweet!! That's awesome news, Pasqually82!! But before they move we NEED to plan a get together at the present location. It is so nostalgic inside, from everything as the show, layout, and even the ordering counter which is just amazing in my opinion.

[pasqually82]

I agree with you MMBBfan327, the floor plan of this store is original and rare for a CEC. I am up anytime for a get together, I live very close so anytime is good. The best time to go is after 9:00pm when it is not so crowded. Mind you, this is a smaller store compared to the others, so on the daytime on the weekend there is actually a 45 minute wait to even get in the doors.

I just still cannot get over the fact they the actually want to keep the stage and restore it at a NEW store!

There will definatley be additional information as I plan on going back and talking to the manager there.

[snser]

i live in rockford

[CEC3066]

Pasqually82 Was this the General Manager that gave you that information

[bzier]

An original Studio C cost around $120,000 dollars, accortding to Tom, the tech at the San Jose Flagship store. From what I've been told, the current Studio C beta installations cost somewhere over $60,000 or $70,000 dollars.
I highly doubt they'll relocate that stage when they move. More than likely corporate will say it's too expensive and not worth moving, and they'll do what they always do with new stores: Install Studio C.

If they REALLY are thinking about the nostalgia factor with this stage, it completely shocks me!

[oldgamefan]

Hi, all --

My apologies -- I realized that I was wrong about the Chuck E. Cheese on East State formerly being a Showbiz instead of a PTT. It was a Celebration Station before being a CEC!

I somehow assumed that what they had was a Rock-a-fire, because, well, it looked pretty similar to the main Rock-a-fire stage. I haven't seen anything else quite like it online. But it wasn't -- I only remember two stages, one with a Rock-a-fire-like band, and another with a... big chicken of some sort doing a newscast with a duck that came down from the ceiling. Wow, my memory's suffering.

[pasqually82]

Pasqually82 Was this the General Manager that gave you that information

I can honestly say I don't know if it was the GM that I was talking to. I didn't ask and he didn't say. I can find out because I do plan on talking him again.

I was surprised too when this information was given to me. I could not believe that CEC would actually relocate an older stage like this. In wishful thinking, I hope what this manager says is true and the Rocker Stage will continued to be used.

[CEC3066]

Wow, ok so those stories aren't bogus after all...I've heard about Showbiz Pizza's WITH a Rock-afire becoming CEC's and ditching the RAE and even vice versa! I wish there was more info about this(former managers, paperwork, etc...) :nerd: :nerd:

The CEC in Citrus Heights,CA was onei t closed and re-opend as a CEC w/ the Rocker stage then got the Road stage.