The pizza dining sector has faced hundreds of restaurant closings over the last two years as chains seek to restructure their businesses by closing underperforming locations.
Pizza Hut‘s parent Yum Brands said it would shutter 250 underperforming restaurants as part of its Hut Forward plan in the first half of 2026. Papa John’s announced in its fourth-quarter earnings call that it will close 200 locations by the end of 2026.
And now, Chuck E. Cheese parent CEC Entertainment Concepts LP is not renewing certain leases of locations that no longer make economic sense to operate.
Chuck E. Cheese closes 6 locations
The popular arcade pizza chain has closed six restaurant locations so far in 2026, allowing their leases to expire.
The pizza chain closed its Airport Highway location at the Swan Creek Plaza shopping center in Toledo, Ohio, in late August 2026, as its lease expired.
Parent company CEC Entertainment Concepts LP did not give a specific reason for allowing its lease to expire or make a statement regarding the closing, according to Capital Digest.
Chuck E. Cheese, however, will continue operating its restaurant location on Monroe Avenue in Toledo. Both the Airport Highway and Monroe locations opened in 1993.
The restaurant location’s landlord has not yet revealed a replacement tenant at last check.
Last Nebraska location closed
The Toledo closing came almost two months after the pizza chain shuttered its last location in Nebraska, as it permanently closed its restaurant on North 76th Street in Omaha, Neb., on July 2, according to Grow Omaha.
Chuck E. Cheese parent CEC Entertainment Concepts also closed its last remaining Chuck E. Cheese location in Topeka, Kan., on Wanamaker Road, on April 5, 2026. The Wanamaker location opened in 1990.
“It’s not easy to say goodbye,” CEC Entertainment said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to every family, every birthday kid, and every guest who has walked through our doors over the decades. We know this news will disappoint many longtime guests, and we sincerely thank you for your loyalty.”
“While we are leaving Topeka for now, that does not mean we won’t be back,” the statement asserted. “This community has been part of our story from nearly the very beginning, and we hope it will be again soon.”
Chuck E. Cheese opened its first Topeka location in 1979 at West 29th Street, which the chain subsequently closed. The pizza chain no longer has a location in Topeka.
“Thank you for being part of our Topeka story – a story that spans generations. We will always remember the joy and community you brought to our doors,” the statement concluded.
3 locations closed on April 4
CEC Entertainment closed three locations on April 4, 2026, including another Kansas location in Olathe, according to the Kansas City Star.
“We understand that this news may have an impact on you, and you may visit us at the nearest location in Overland Park, KS,” a sign on the closed location read.
“As leases expire, markets evolve, and consumer preferences shift, we adjust our real estate strategy accordingly,” CEC Entertainment spokesperson Allison Chouinard told The Star.
The company still operates three nearby locations at 9196 N. Skyview Ave. in Kansas City, Mo.’s Northland area, 10510 Metcalf Lane in Overland Park, Kan., and at 18701 E. 39th Street in Independence, Mo.
The company also closed its Chuck E. Cheese location on Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, Texas, on April 4, according to KTAB-TV, as well as its restaurant on North Salisbury Boulevard in Salisbury, Md., which shut down on the same day, WBOC-TV reported.
“This is how we manage a national footprint across 45 states and should not be interpreted as an indication of financial or operational distress,” CEC Senior Director Alejandra Brady told WBOC.
Restaurant recovers from distress
Chuck E. Cheese, which has over 500 locations in 45 U.S. states, filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2020 after shutting down operations when the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the nation in March 2020.
The arcade pizza chain, which opened its first location in San Jose, Calif., in 1977, restructured its debt, spent $350 million remodeling its locations, and updated its menu.
CEC Entertainment Concepts this year launched a new spinoff concept for adults, Chuck’s Arcade, that seeks to attract consumers who grew up enjoying Chuck E. Cheese pizza and the restaurant’s arcade games.
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