Chuck E. Cheese - Reloaded?

Newsweek reports the inventor of Pong and founder of Chuck E. Cheese is getting back into the restaurant game. Adults welcome. At age 62, perpetual kid Nolan Bushnell wants to get gamers out of the house. This week, he will announce a new venture, the uWink Media Bistro restaurantchain. (via Digg, Slashdot and Newsweek)

Nolan Bushnell has had some crazy ideas in his time on Earth... Who would have thought that an electronic version of Ping Pong would lead to a 6 billion dolar a year industry? This is the same man that made a huge mouse a symbol for pizza and video games.

Bushnell's latest idea does not seem like its time has yet come... especially as a franchise. I foresee this quickly taking a nosedive.

I wonder what the food or ambience would be like? It seems that the business model of any cyber/gaming bistro is inherently flawed due to the fact that people do not want to pay for services such as these, but I could be wrong. It seems that the model must either make the service provided as you purchase a certain amount of food or beverages (ala strip joints and Denny's) or (the more likely model) that you pay to play, and food is there as well.

Upon reading the actual Newsweek story, I disagree with my "gut" reaction. I could see this as a viable business model today. I have spent many an hour plinking quarters into a bar multi-game machine and have seen others obsessed with them... shoveling more into the game than into drinks. A restaurant/bar based around such machines with interoperability and competition between tables would cause people to spend more time and perhaps even become "regulars." Perhaps this is a way to pull in those that would not usually go to bars.

I have always thought that arcades with bars are the way of the future... tons of 21+ gamers in the world.

Perhaps the time has come. Go Nolan! Innovate again!

I suggest adding brew pubs to these restaurants.

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