What was your store like?

[MMBBfan327]

Hey! Just wondering what your sotre was like.

Here's mine:

CECPTT (1982-1997) Brookfield, WI in Elmbrook Plaza

When you walk in the prize counter and food counter are on the left while the huge arcade was on the right. The restrooms were next on the left and in the back was the showroom. The balcony stage (followed by "c" stage then one stage MMBB) was on the right of the room and on the left was the king and the beagles (both at the same time at one point). They left in the early 90s and coat racks/ music parody albums were put up.

CEC/PTT (1983-present) West Allis, WI

Was basically the same format as above except the showroom. The balcony was on the left wall as the king was on the right and there was a tiny space with Artie in it on the backwall which he was only there once for a SUPER short time (they got him when he started to phase out), which then the balcony was moved to the back and the king was moved to the corner wall on the left of the stage. then in early 93, the king left and in 94 one stage mmbb was put in and is still there.

CEC/PTT (1980-present) Milwaukee, WI (historic)

This location is historic to me. When you walk in he game room was on the left while the prize counter was straight ahead. Go further and on the left was the showroom with a balcony. the king and beagles shared a room in the back which is now patched up and dolli and artie switched in the main showroom which now in their place the exit to the main hallway. in the 80s they got a c stage and then a one stage, which is still there and even still has the light that reads, "The Chuck E. Cheese Show!" I got a pic, but still have to see if it turned out.

Well, that's mine. How about you?

[Harmony Howlette]

It was dark and smelled like piss.
Seriously though, you walk in, and RIGHT by the door is a cabaret room with the King. On the other side of the door is the 'ride' area, with the coin operated rides. You go down a long hall, and on one side of the hall, there's the showroom, seperated from the rest with walls, and glass windows tinted black, so you can't see in. On the other side of the hall is the prize counter, food counter, and salad bar.
Keep going straight down the hall, and there's the gameroom. Make a left and you're by the ballpit.
That's all I remember. Hehh.

[bzier]

Well I would have described what my CEC's were like back in the old days, by MMBBFan already did it for me!

Yeah, I'm originally from Milwaukee, so I'm real familiar with those stores. Sadly, I never had the chance to visit the Chase Ave. Store until three years ago.

Speaking of the Milwaukee area stores, MMBBFan, have you ever visited the now closed Good Hope Road store? I think it closed in like 1996 or so.

[MMBBfan327]

No, I have never gone to the Good Hope store, but my cousin-in-law went there all the time when it was a ShowBiz, and he told me about it, too. He said that there were games as far as the eye can see, however the stage was "cramped," and it was a square shaped, and it also looked old fashioned. Is this what it looked like when CEC took over? I know that when it was a CEC, it got robbed all the time, so it's been vacant for a while, but now there's a Home Depot down there.

More about Chase Ave.: Did you like that store? I absolutley love it!!! When you went, did they have the parody posters? When I went last weekend, I noticed they trashed them. >: I like how they put the stage on a diagonal wall like that, and how Jasper has his name sewn onto his hat. However, Munch was pretty trashed. His eyelids and eyebrows were like glued onto his eyes, you couldn't even see them. I suspect this store will switch to Chuck's new outfit, as when I was there, Chuck had his tux, but he also sported a baseball cap (pics to come, guys! ;) )

[MatHat13]

Hey bzier, where have you been these days?:eek

[CEC3066]

Fairfield,CA
(1982-1993)
Cabaret room was to the right of the entrance . you walked up a little farther top the order counter. The Birthday counter where the party's bills were rung up was to the right of the order counter.
The showroom was dsown the hall on the right originally w/ the balcony then in '89 we got the "C" stage Porch show. Chuck E. had 2 dressing room doors 1 in the dining room & one just outside it in the hallway by the kitchen.
Further down if you turned left you were in the TV room if you turned Right you were in the Game room

1993-1997
Cabaret Room enlarged for more seating. C stage removed for installation of 2-stage. Birthday Counter now becomes order counter & the order counter is now the merchandise counter. Part of the wall that divides the show & Game room is cut to make a 2nd entrance.

1997-??????
complete remodel of entire store. Show & Gameroom trade places (although it is actually the old TV room where the show ends up) everything else looks like your basic CEC of today.

[joshferrell]

plano texas-1981 (or so)
wooden building,walk through the doors on the right was artie,dolly ect on the left was always the king,(never changed),go straight then look left you'll see video games look right you'll see rides look forward you'll see the ticket counter with prizes,the video game and ride section had fake trees and looked like a forrest,the walls were all wood,keep going and you'll find the balcony show with a wooden wall and the country theme show....the whole building was dark and smokey....

irving texas-1989

looked like a showbiz but had the swing stage,this was before the change so I think it's strange that it was a showbiz building with a cec stage,in fact it was called showbiz pizza..

[MMBBfan327]

Yes, most CEC stores were changed to "ShowBiz Pizza" with the merger thing in 1987 or so. An example is Streamwood, IL. It opened as a ShowBiz Pizza, but had (and still does) a MMBB 2-stage (some people say it's the best running show out there).;)

[bzier]

The Chase Ave CEC has had the red baseball cap for the CEC bot since 2002. When I visited it that year, they had just changed over to it. I do like the way the stage is angled. And yes, they DID have the posters last time I was there. I believe they are getting ready for Phase 4, and all of these posters are being taken out in favor of really stupid looking 'modern' posters.

As for your question MatHat as to where I've been? Working A LOT!!! I'm still a Senior Manager at CEC here in Lakeland, but I also have a full time job as a character performer at Walt Disney World now. I've been at CEC for three years now, and am ready to make a change. There's been so much going on at our store, it's crazy! They've just started breaking ground on the NEW Lakeland CEC that's supposed to open sometime in November/December.

I'm on the boards every now and then, but I hardly EVER have any time to go on the net.

[MMBBfan327]

Really? When I went, an employee told me that they never had them. Which ones did they have?

That's cool that you work at Walt Disney. Which character are you, or are there various?

[MatHat13]

Wow, you're at WDW now as a character, nice.:eek

What characters are you performing?