CEC location doesn't allow customers to hang out in store without paying for something
To me, it's never a good business strategy to expect every customer who walks into your store to pay for the products you sell if they're either not in the mood to purchase something or just want to window shop. Not only does it damage the relationship employees may have with their customers, but it just feels like a way to purposely damage your establishment. Plus, it could just make the customers feel uneasy or unsure if they'd ever want to shop at said store again or it'll possibly put alot of unwanted pressure on them that they understandable don't want to be feeling. I mention this because earlier today I went inside a Chuck E. Cheese location in NY and as I was about to sit down and admire the area, I randomly got approached by an employee who asked me what I was doing in the store. After saying I just wanted to check the place out since this is an establishment I've appreciated ever since I was a kid, he then told me that I could either buy some food or pay for play points/time (which are sometimes over $20-$30 btw). Once I said I wasn't planning on making any purchases, he said I couldn't be in the store and told me to leave which I promptly did, and then he escorted me out of the place (as if I didn't know how to walk to and out the door of an arcade). I also noticed that it seemed he was giving me somewhat of a dirty look when he saw me walking in and out of the arcade center (make that of what you will). I should also mention that I've been to three other CEC locations in the past several months and not one of them had me going through something similar to this. My guess is either that person takes their job way too seriously or this could be proof that CEC is still infact struggling financially and are desperately attempting to grab any dollar they can get, which ofc isn't good.
I guess the lesson to be learned here is to never go to a store/arcade that expects every customer that walks in to pay for their items.
Image of the location where this occurred...
Posted Jul 19, 2025, 7:45 PM UTC