Looking for something fun and local to do with the kiddos this summer? Literally anywhere else in town would be better than Chuck E. Cheese.

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. I'll start by saying I'm not happy about writing this article. Like I do most days, I'd much rather write about the awesome things we have to do in Shreveport-Bossier. However, after my experience this week at Bossier City's Chuck E. Cheese, I have a lot on my mind.

Growing up, it was always a HUGE deal in my family to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Generally it meant there was a birthday to celebrate or some other notable event. At that time, the Chuck E. Cheese was located on Texas Street in Bossier near Pierre Bossier Mall. That place was a palace in my eyes, and maybe that's one reason I'm so disappointed in what Chuck E. Cheese has become.

Sure, I will admit that's definitely part of the problem I have with Chuck E. Cheese. Like most things we love as children, it's near impossible for those things to be viewed similarly as we look back as an adult. However, my beef with Chuck E. Cheese is much deeper than that.

Chuck E. Cheese is described as a "family entertainment center", however, I think a better was to describe it in 2021 is a complete scam. A rip-off that punishes families for being naive enough to assume a trip to Chuck E. Cheese would be worth it.

This week, I surprised my kids with a trip to the "family entertainment center" on Viking Drive in Bossier City. Within five minutes of entering Chuck E. Cheese, I came to the realization that the establishment is barely a shell of its former self. The environment is dull, the animatronics turned off, and no sign of Chuck E. Cheese. In fact, we were there for nearly two hours and he never came out once.

To make matters worse for our family outing, we spent roughly $100 on tokens, food, and drinks. Then, when it came to the games, I realized quickly just how far Chuck E. Cheese has fallen. I should have counted exactly how many games were available. If i had to guess, I'd say around 60-70. Of those games, 25 of them were broken. There may have been more, because many of them appeared to be functional, until you put in your tokens only to find the game is, indeed, broken.

I can't tell you how many times my daughters got excited to play a game only to realize it was not functional. I understand things happen, and these arcade-type games can experience technical issues from time to time, but the sheer amount of broken games in our Chuck E. Cheese is nothing short of pathetic. It was borderline laughable. In fact, had I not foolishly spent $100 within 30 seconds pf entering the "family entertainment center", I would have laughed loudly at the pathetic state Chuck E. Cheese finds itself in.

Oh, and another thing. Ironically, most of their "broken" games just so happened to be the ones with the highest ticket payouts. So, you're left with a handful of functioning games with extremely low payouts. That means that if you were the luckiest person on the planet and you somehow hit eight jackpots in a row on the functioning game with the highest payout, you'd be able to turn those tickets in for two tootsie rolls and a finger puppet.

This place is a complete joke and if you're a parent in Shreveport-Bossier, avoid it like the plague. There are many other wonderful businesses that would love to give you and your family a great experience.

Broken Games at Chuck E. Cheese in Bossier City

This gallery was photographed on July 15th, 2021.

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