Grand Junction’s Chuck E. Cheese is Closing

Grand Junction is saying goodbye to Chuck E. Cheese.

The kid-friendly pizza restaurant in Grand Junction is one of 34 locations that are permanently being shut down by the Chuck E. Cheese parent company CEC Entertainment.

According to USA Today, the company, with more than 15,000 employees and 186 locations around the world, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. The company reportedly lost 90% of its revenue during the COVID-19 shutdown which resulted in an accumulation of massive debt.

CEC is hoping to get a judge's permission to honor game credits, tickets, and tokens as long as the company remains business.

Chuck E. Cheese was founded in 1977 and has been a popular destination for families with kids with tons of arcade games and rides, and entertainment provided by their famous mouse mascot.

Like a lot of folks in Grand Junction, I have memories of good times at Chuck E. Cheese and it is certainly sad to see it close. The closing creates another empty space at Mesa Mall, which we hope can be quickly filled by another quality restaurant.