What Is It About Chuck E. Cheese’s and Parental Brawls?

The restaurant chain’s motto is “Where a Kid Can Be a Kid,” so why do parents sometimes end up in fistfights there? (Photo: Getty Images)

It happened over the weekend at a Chuck E. Cheese’s in Augusta, Ga.: While kids sat in bright red booths celebrating a birthday, a violent free-for-all broke out among several adult guests, complete with shoving and hair-pulling.

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A similar fight among grownups attending a child’s party happened at a Chuck E. Cheese in Indiana in August. And in Ohio in May. In fact, a quick search on YouTube uncovered pages of videos going back years documenting adult brawls at the kid-themed restaurant.

All these videos beg the question: Is there something about Chuck E. Cheese’s and similar eateries with franchises around the country that puts people in a knockdown, drag-out mood? Yes, experts say — but it’s not necessarily the restaurant’s fault.

On one hand, the physical space does contribute to a stressful environment. “Places like Chuck E. Cheese are meant to get everyone excited,” Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, tells Yahoo Parenting. “It’s loud, there are bright lights and a buzz of activity.”

“Restaurants know that getting patrons excited leads them to spend more money, but it also leads people to be on edge, which may increase the chances of violence,” says Morin.

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Spending a couple of hours with kids hyped up on sugary menu items can add to that stress, setting up a powder-keg atmosphere that leads to fights. “The tension associated with a child’s birthday party can cause parents to be on edge as well. When things don’t go according to plan, some parents snap,” says Morin.

And then there’s the pressure parents increasingly put on themselves to host an indulgent child’s party that impresses adults. “Birthdays are opportunities to celebrate family; they are not intended to be showcases for commercial extravagance or to be the competitive events they’ve become,” Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, a licensed family and marriage therapist, tells Yahoo Parenting.

“Unfortunately over the past three decades, the intimacy of birthdays has been suffocated by aggressive grandiosity,” says Hokemeyer. “Parents have allowed themselves to be seduced by commercial interests. In this hollow space that’s been created, parents feel resentful, stressed, angry and out of control,” hence the fisticuffs.

Finally, add alcohol to the mix, and low-key arguments are more likely to escalate into full-on violent fights. Chuck E. Cheese’s serves beer and wine, with a two-drink limit and the right to refuse service, Alexis Linn, public relations manager for Chuck E. Cheese’s, tells Yahoo Parenting.

Linn acknowledges that the restaurant has a rep for altercations, but she says it’s been blown out of proportion. “We have 600 restaurants around the country, and fights do happen but very rarely, and more often outside,” says Linn. “It’s not the typical experience.”

The company has a strict policy of not tolerating any bad behavior among customers. “If adults start arguing, a manager will give a warning, and if they don’t stop, they’re asked to leave,” says Linn.

“If a fight is physical, the adults involved are told to leave and we call the police,” she adds. “We don’t want our employees getting in the middle, trying to break things up or being targeted for violence. Our number one priority is the safety of our guests and employees.”

The vast majority of the time, Chuck E. Cheese’s are fun, friendly places for families, says Linn. But it’s up to parents to decide if the atmosphere and excitement are right for their kids, so tempers are less likely to flare.

“Rather than choosing an artificial and commercial venue for their child’s birthday celebration, parents should find one where their kids can connect with what’s real and enduring,” says Hokemeyer, who suggests someplace outside, in nature, or in a museum. And of course, a birthday party at home works too.

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