Chuck E. Cheese is opening arcades for adults
The arcade chain is opening a spin-off aimed at adults, called 'Chuck's Arcade,' which the company describes as a 'modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E. Cheese great.'
Similar to the kiddie version, Chuck's Arcade has a mix of nostalgic arcade games, like Donkey Kong and Mortal Kombat; and newer titles such as Halo and Connect Four Hoops. Plus, each arcade is 'overseen' by one of the chain's iconic animatronic characters, including Chuck E. Cheese himself or other characters from his Munch's Make Believe Band.
Ten are open so far at malls across the United States, with arcades in St. Petersburg, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; El Paso, Texas; and St. Louis. Each location looks different, decorated with original artwork that celebrates the brand's past, according to a release.
Of course, there will also be prizes for adults to win and arcades will have 'old-school merch' available for purchase. Some arcades will serve food, with the Kansas City location having a pizzeria that also serves a small selection of beer and wine, a spokesperson told CNN.
David McKillips, CEO of Chuck. E. Cheese, said that the spin-off is a 'natural evolution' for the company following the remodel of its 500 locations and sees it as an 'opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences.'
The company's expansion comes five years after it filed for bankruptcy during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Chuck E. Cheese spent $350 million in remodels over the past few years as well as introducing new pricing tiers to attract budget-focused families.
The launch of Chuck's Arcade comes amid troubles for its chief rival Dave & Buster's. The latter is publicly traded and recently reported a 9.4 per cent decline in same-store sales, with its new management trashing 'ill-advised changes' implemented by its previous leadership that included too many adjustments at once.
Article written by Jordan Valinsky, CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
15 minutes ago
- CTV News
Dr. Phil's year-old cable network files for bankruptcy, accusing broadcast partner of reneging on obligations
Dr. Phil is seen at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, in September CNN Newsource Dr. Phil's TV network, Merit Street Media, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday and sued Christian television giants Trinity Broadcasting Network and TCT Ministries for allegedly harming its business and contributing to its financial woes. The lawsuit, filed by Fort Worth-based Merit Street with the US Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Texas, claims that TBN, the network's broadcast partner, backed out of its obligations and instead 'abused its position as the controlling shareholder.' As a result, Merit Street claims it was forced to 'pay or incur obligations to third parties in excess of $100 million.' 'These failures by TBN were neither unintended nor inadvertent,' Merit Street argued in the lawsuit. 'They were a conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequence of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network.' In a statement, a Merit Street spokesperson said the network is suing TBN for 'failing to provide clearly agreed-upon national distribution and other significant foundational commitments critical to the network's continuing success and viability.' 'The suit is part of a restructuring proceeding also initiated by MSM,' the spokesperson said. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration and lawsuit come just over a year after the joint cable venture's official launch. Phil McGraw, known as Dr. Phil, launched the cable network despite the precarious state of the cable industry, which has seen customers cut the cord in favor of streaming entertainment and digital news platforms. The venture followed the conclusion of Dr. Phil's 21-season show on CBS in May 2023. However, according to the lawsuit, Merit Street's troubles began almost immediately after it was established in January 2023, when Dr. Phil's Peteski Productions first partnered with TBN, which puts out faith- and worship-based content as the world's largest Christian network. Under the venture, the Christian television company was expected to cover distribution and production services at no cost to Merit Street, according to the suit. TBN was also expected to make 'certain payments' to Peteski, while the Dr. Phil-owned company would provide new programming, including original episodes of the 'Dr. Phil' show and prime-time specials, the suit stated. Instead, the lawsuit alleges that TBN 'reneged' on its responsibilities, allegedly abusing its power as the controlling shareholder to 'advance its own interests,' as well as those of its chief executive, Matthew Crouch. TBN also allegedly caused CrossSeed — a company with which TBN is closely connected, and whose directors include Crouch and TBN's chief business officer, Frank Amedia — to loan $25 million to Merit Street. The network then assigned a promissory note to TCT. TBN and TCT did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Merit Street's programming has included Dr. Phil's embed with ICE during immigration crackdowns by officers in Chicago in January and Los Angeles in June. The network also carried Dr. Phil's August 2024 interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Just after launching Merit Street, Dr. Phil told the New York Post he wanted the network to be 'a destination network that you can turn on in the morning and leave on.' Merit Street is now seeking damages and the cost of its legal fees and costs.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Why Are These 3 High-Yield Dividend King Stocks Near 52-Week Lows While the S&P 500 Just Hit an All-Time High?
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) closed out the first half of the year at an all-time high -- a remarkable recovery considering how beaten down the index was in April. But not all stocks are enjoying the rebound. Dividend-paying stocks PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ: KMB), and Target (NYSE: TGT) have lost value over the last three years because they aren't consistently growing their earnings and consumer spending is under pressure. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » However, these companies are Dividend Kings -- meaning they have paid and raised their payouts for over 50 consecutive years. Here's why Pepsi, Kimberly-Clark, and Target are excellent choices for folks looking to boost their passive income. Challenges are mounting for consumer-facing companies Investing is more about expectations than past performance. So the market can grow intolerant of companies that undergo multiyear periods of slowing or negative growth. That's certainly been the case for Pepsi, Kimberly-Clark, and Target. PEP Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts As the chart shows, all three companies are experiencing slow or negative sales growth, and their stock prices are falling accordingly. PepsiCo owns a variety of beverage and snack brands -- from flagship Pepsi to Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Tropicana, Frito-Lay snack brands like Lay's, Cheetos, Doritos, and Quaker Oats products. The diverse lineup helps make Pepsi a stable stalwart, but the company is seeing intense backlash from consumers who are drained from years of price increases. Pepsi has made some acquisitions focused on healthier snacks and meal replacements to diversify its product lineup. And the company is revamping marketing and packaging efforts to cater to consumers. Still, Pepsi doesn't expect these efforts to offset near-term headwinds, so its guidance is fairly weak. Kimberly-Clark makes paper-based professional products and has consumer brands such as Kleenex, Cottonelle, Viva, and Scott. It also offers a variety of adult care, baby and child care, and feminine care products. But the company is in a similar boat to Pepsi. Demand is flatlining, pressuring Kimberly-Clark's growth rate and margins. A multiyear strategy to reorganize the company has yet to produce tangible results. Target's issues are even more severe. Despite promotions and exclusive product offerings, the company is struggling to boost in-store foot traffic. Target also mismanaged its inventory and hasn't tapped into e-commerce and delivery options nearly as well as peers like Walmart. Whereas Pepsi and Kimberly-Clark sell everyday-use products, Target's product mix is more discretionary in nature -- which has backfired as consumers look for value. Stable and growing payouts Although all three companies are far from the top of their game, they are all still highly profitable. They aren't turnaround stories in dire straits. The payout ratio and free cash flow (FCF) per share compared to the dividend per share are useful metrics for gauging dividend affordability. The payout ratio is a company's earnings per share divided by the dividend per share -- with 50% to 75% generally considered a healthy range. But stable companies in non-cyclical sectors can be on the higher end of that range. As you can see in the following chart, Pepsi, Kimberly-Clark, and Target all have good payout ratios. PEP Payout Ratio data by YCharts Pepsi is earning roughly the same FCF as its dividend, but Kimberly-Clark and Target are generating boatloads more FCF than dividends -- illustrating dividend affordability. Heavily discounted valuations All three companies have seen their valuations fall considerably since they have continued to generate strong earnings, but their stock prices are down. PEP PE Ratio (10y Median) data by YCharts To be fair, when a company is producing below its historical growth rate and not living up to investor expectations, it arguably deserves to trade at a discount. However, all three companies are now down considerably from their average valuations. Pepsi's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is now under 20 even though it has historically been a premium-priced stock relative to the market. Similarly, investors tend to give Kimberly-Clark a slightly premium valuation given its stable and reliable dividend and recession-resistant business model. But now, the company is trading at its lowest valuation in years. Like most retailers, Target typically trades at a discount to the S&P 500. But its valuation is so cheap, the stock's P/E ratio is within striking distance of hitting single digits. Three Dividend Kings that have fallen far enough Pepsi, Kimberly-Clark, and Target stand out as excellent values, especially for patient investors looking to boost their passive income streams. Not only do these companies have exceptional track records of growing their payouts, but they can also afford their dividends thanks to strong earnings. What's more, all three companies have high yields -- Pepsi at 4.3%, Kimberly-Clark at 3.9%, and Target at 4.5%. Short-term-minded investors are making a mistake by dumping these stocks just because their results haven't been great lately. Long-term investors who can filter out the noise are getting the chance to buy these names at compelling valuations. Should you invest $1,000 in PepsiCo right now? Before you buy stock in PepsiCo, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and PepsiCo wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $697,627!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $939,655!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,045% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to178%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Daniel Foelber has positions in PepsiCo. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Target and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals: A 7.9 Score and Room for Growth
Explore the exciting world of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KNSA) with our expert analysts in this Motley Fool Scoreboard episode. Check out the video below to gain valuable insights into market trends and potential investment opportunities! *Stock prices used were the prices of May 28, 2025. The video was published on Jul. 2, 2025. Should you invest $1,000 in Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International right now? Before you buy stock in Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, consider this: Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $697,627!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $939,655!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,045% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to178%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Anand Chokkavelu, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Karl Thiel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
