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Maureen Wallenfang
Appleton Post-Crescent
Published 4:23 PM EDT Jun 24, 2020
Chuck E. Cheese in Grand Chute has permanently closed, according to its website.
The family restaurant and children’s entertainment venue had been at 4671 W. Michaels Drive for more than two decades, and had been completely renovated just six months ago at a cost of $263,000, according to town permits.
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The facility’s exterior signage is now gone and windows are papered over. On Wednesday morning, crews removed its arcade games.
A shipping label on one machine read that it was being moved to Joliet, Illinois.
Representatives for the company did not return emails asking about the closure.
As of December, the chain had 612 locations. Chuck E. Cheese remains open in Ashwaubenon.
Recent reports in the Wall Street Journal called the Chuck E. Cheese chain “troubled.” It said owner Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm, is now fielding interest from potential buyers. Previously, WSJ said the company was “in talks with its lenders to raise money to avoid filing for bankruptcy.”
The company was said to be struggling even more during the coronavirus shutdown. It offered carryout, but the in-house experience was why families liked the business.
Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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