Dive Brief:
- Chuck E. Cheese is launching a multitiered subscription program, dubbed the Fun Pass, targeting families, the chain announced Monday.
- Priced between $7.99 and $29.99, the subscription offers escalating discounts on food and between 40 and 250 free games per day, depending on the tier.
- The program is an expansion of market testing carried out in at least 13 stores earlier this year to the brand’s 450 plus locations in the U.S. and Canada, according to the press release.
Dive Insight:
Mark Kupferman, EVP at Chuck E. Cheese said the goal of the program was “to offer great value, and develop an easy, and fun solution for everyone.” The program test saw high demand and high satisfaction among families, Kupferman added.
The chain offers the subscriptions with two purchase options: a recurring, monthly charge and a single, higher payment for a two-month, non-recurring membership. However, the per-month cost for a two-month membership is much higher than the per-month cost of the recurring option.
All three tiers include a number of other perks: The free games can be divided among as many as six family members, the passes are good for one visit a day, and buyers receive surprise bonuses, as well as enrollment in the Chuck E. Cheese Birthday Club.
Chuck E. Cheese claimed the program constitutes the “first-ever nationwide, unlimited-visit monthly membership,” in eatertainment.
In addition to the market test of the subscription program, Chuck E. Cheese has tried to draw in more customers by updating its menu to appeal to both parents and children, beginning late last year. As of December, CEC Entertainment, the brand’s parent company, was reportedly considering a sale.
The addition of a loyalty program based on recurrent subscriptions could improve the brand’s value proposition for prospective owners, if it successfully yielded an increase in traffic during an otherwise difficult period for restaurants.
A number of restaurant brands have shifted toward tiered loyalty programs in recent years. Sweetgreen’s two-tiered Sweetpass system launched in 2023, while On the Border and Subway both use tiered systems based on total spend.
