Chuck E. Cheese Losing His Head

I can't count the untold number of tokens and long strips of arcade prize tickets I've invested in over the decades with three kids and seven grandchildren. If you're also a Chuck E. aficionado, I've got a great story that has been kept one of their best kept secrets. Company policy requires each Chuck E. Cheese location to 'demolish' the character's head when it's too old or no longer needed. A video from Patch caught two former employees bashing Chuck's brains in with a sledgehammer. So, why would there be a company policy demanding the total destruction of their business's beloved namesake?

Since it first opened up as "Pizza Time Theatre" in 1977, Chuck has gone through a few rebrandings. He's now a very wide-eyed mouse, whose full name is Charles Entertainment Cheese, remains a fixture at the many national and international locations played by a rotating cast of highly trained store employees who often lead kids meandering in conga lines.

So what's up with the mystery behind a policy mandating the destruction of the character's head? The company doesn't want to traumatize any kids who may see Chuck's disembodied head sticking out of a dumpster. Plus, it could be problematic if a kid saw Chuck E. floating around in some sideshow.

One of the challenges for the costumed employees is sometimes they get kids in their karate outfits who want to show Chuck E. how strong they can kick them in the shins. And the biggest challenge for the un-costumed employees is breaking up brawls that start between parents who lose their heads.