ShowBiz Pizza Place: Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC (7701 Pineville-Matthews Rd) opened as a ShowBiz Pizza Place on October 20th, 1982, and is currently operating as a Chuck E Cheese’s to this day. It was the first ShowBiz Pizza to open in the state of North Carolina, and the second to open in the Carolinas overall. This location is home to the last 3-Stage in the state, and the last 3-Stage in existence, after Billings, MT (100 24th St)’s 3-Stage was removed on July 28th, 2024.

In May 2024, Pineville was selected as one of five Chuck E. Cheese locations designated as CEC Legacy Locations, receiving a variant of the CEC 2.0 Remodel Program in June of that year. Their grand re-opening was held a month later on July 26th of 2024.

Pineville’s ShowBiz Pizza Place was first announced in April 1982 by franchisee Adventure Restaurants Corporation, with a planned September opening. It was constructed as a 12,000-square-foot facility within the Carmel Commons Shopping Center and was expected to create 70 jobs. For unknown reasons (likely because of construction delays), Pineville did not open until October 20th, 1982. As with other ShowBiz Pizza Place stores at the time, Pineville opened with a Rock-afire Explosion Classic Stage and housed 89 games in its gameroom. While the store opened on October 20th, the official grand opening was held on October 24th, 1982, celebrated with free balloons and ARC’s ShowBiz Pizza hot-air balloon in the parking lot . Between 1988 and 1992, the location received the SPT 1980’s Remodel Program, although Pineville appears to have retained its original SPP Standard Layout, according to 1989 images.

Pineville received Concept Unification in 1991, converting their Rock-afire Classic Stage into a Concept Unification Stage with Munch’s Make Believe Band. In January 1993, Adventure Restaurant Corporation closed the Pineville location after 10 years of ownership. A few weeks later, Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. acquired Pineville, reopening and rebranding it as “Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza” that same month (Pineville had previously operated under the ShowBiz Pizza name, even after Concept Unification).

Between 1993 and 1996, the location received the SPT 1990’s Remodel Program with a modified exterior featuring “Thumb Chuck”, the Obstotron play structure, and other fixtures of the remodel.

To-Do.

In 2012, the Carmel Commons Plaza recolored its tenants’ exteriors to beige brick with grey roofing. The Pineville Chuck E. Cheese’s, albeit briefly, retained the Thumb Chuck signage and checkers. Pineville’s gameroom eventually expanded into a former tenant of the plaza (business currently unidentified), and the exterior was simultaneously modified with a large extruded facade to feature the 2005 signage over the existing arches. The game package Supposedly, this was also when the Chuck E. animatronic’s eyebrows inexplicably disappeared (long rumored to have been sent to Charlotte, NC (5612 Albemarle Rd) for use on their Road Stage Chuck E. Cyberamic), his triangular base was removed, and the stage trim was painted black to match the stage base fabric. Presumably, before these changes, Pizzacam’s mechanism had been placed into storage underneath stage left after being removed from the show.

In 2019, Pineville was planned to undergo the 2.0. Remodel Program for the Spring of 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and CEC’s subsequent bankruptcy in 2020, the plans were initially halted. At this time, a fan named “Alex” (@miltondrivewaysignal) stepped in to maintain the Pineville 3-Stage, gradually improving the mechanical condition and updating the stage’s physical appearance. These updates include, but are not limited to:

* Removal of the Wink’s red and white-striped banners, revealing “In Pizza We Trust” for the first time since the 1990’s (2021) * Huntsville, Alabama-inspired organ face and orange colored organ tubing (2021) * Teal-colored eyelids and eyeshadow for Helen Henny (2021) * LED lighting for “over” and “back” floods (2022) * Temporary display of Studio C curtains on the sides of center stage (2022) * Custom-patterned eyebrows for Chuck E.’s mask (2022) * Blonde pigtails for Helen Henny (2022) * Placement of fur between Jasper’s eyes, similar to Huntsville, to conceal visible cracks on the mask from wear (2022) * Relocation of the Building’s mask from Columbia, SC, as Pineville’s was disposed of for deterioration in 2019 (2022) * 3D printed, functioning custom replica of Munch Jr. (2022) * Relocated Munch hat from Albemarle Rd. (2022) * Display of curtains from the defunct Lynchburg, VA (312 Border St) ShowBiz Pizza on the sides of center stage (2022) * Replacement of Pineville’s original blue valance with the green valance of the former Charleston, SC (1610 Sam Rittenburg Blvd) store (2022) * Custom plaid shirt pattern for Jasper (2022) * Pink glittered trim for Pasqually’s base (2022) * Display of industrial curtains for all stages (2023) * Uncovered wooden trim for the stage base, the first time it had been uncovered since 2012 (2023) * Repainted Helen and Jasper shoes (2024) * Wood trim applied over the stage base fabric, emulating 1990’s Cyberamic stage bases (2024) * Repainted Moon mask (2024) * Subtle painted details on Pasqually’s mask (2024) * Repainted cheese guitar (2024)

As a result of these efforts, and likely due to strong overall sales, Pineville’s remodel and proposed stage removal had been postponed indefinitely. In Summer 2023, as Northridge, CA (8425 Reseda Blvd) was selected to keep their Cyberamic 2-Stage at the last minute before their remodel was scheduled, measurements for Pineville’s 2.0. character posters and Video Wall took place, intending to keep the 3-Stage intact. It is unclear whether Pineville was also immediately selected to retain its stage at this time, though the “#savepineville” movement within the CEC community and the eventual 2024 CEC Future Planning Survey helped secure its stage’s status. Therefore, it was officially announced on May 24, 2024 that Pineville, along with Springfield, IL (2369 McArthur Ave) and Hicksville, NY (Delco Plaza 11-15 Hanover Place), were to join Northridge and the previously announced addition of Nanuet, NY (250 West Route 59) as official CEC Legacy Locations.

After four years of delay, Pineville officially began its 2.0. remodel at the start of June 2024. By that month, most of the remodel had already been completed, including a new game package and Trampoline Zone. Still, special arrangements to update Pineville’s stage and the addition of a “Retro Exhibit” in the former Toddler Zone meant the process wasn’t fully finished. Pineville’s original Pizzacam animatronic, while still in existence, was too incomplete to have been reused as is. Another Pizzacam was sourced from the SPT Distribution Center in Topeka, Kansas, for use instead, originating from the Laurel, MD 3-Stage. SPT Distribution also provided wall art and signage for display in Pineville’s Retro Exhibit, several were previously used in other locations. Chuck E.’s Jukebox TV was fitted with an improved flat-screen inside the existing Mitsubishi casing (replacing a much smaller flat screen that was hastily added when the original CRT screen fell into disrepair). The finishing touches for the stage before the grand re-opening included the addition of authentic 3-Stage curtains and motors, sourced from the Tallahassee, FL (2810 Sharer Rd) store, but they were inoperable from July 2024 to February 2025 due to complications. The Pineville grand re-opening was held on July 26, 2024, with Chief Insights & Marketing Officer, Mark Kupferman, and Chief Operating Officer, Randy Forsythe, in attendance.

After the 2.0. remodel of Billings, MT in July 2024, Pineville became the last 3-Stage store operating within the entire Chuck E. Cheese’s chain (it and Springfield, IL are the last two stores with converted Rock-afire Explosion “Electronimation” animatronics operating in the chain, albeit the latter updated to a Concept Unification 1-Stage in 2011). Billings’ “Cool Chuck” shirt and khakis were shipped to Pineville for use on their Chuck E. animatronic, to be worn in sporadic rotation with the previous “Avenger” clothes, as planned by store management.

Additional alterations to the stage after the grand re-opening?such as the Building’s and Pizzacam’s mask, Munch’s hat, and Chuck E.’s original mask, all repainted?were made, though brought negative attention from fans (most especially Chuck E.’s mask repaint) with the majority consensus concluding Pineville was the last 3-Stage standing and should therefore remain authentically original. Nevertheless, the show continues to operate in this altered state, regularly maintained mechanically and periodically decorated for seasonal events (Summer of Fun, Halloween Boo-tacular, and Winter Winner-land). Chuck E.’s original mask was eventually replaced, following the backlash on the custom repaint. The Chuck E. animatronic now wears a different mask, determined to have originated from Greensboro, NC (702-A Pembroke Rd), which also appears to be modified slightly.