Signaling the end of a nostalgic (if nightmare-inducing) era of Pizza-themed music, Chuck E. Cheese’s iconic animatronic band will be calling it quits. NPR reports that the infamous robot band —dubbed The Pizza Time Players — have been a part of the restaurants since 1977, but tradition was not enough to save the band from the steady winds of change.
CEO Tom Leverton, who runs the company behind Chuck E. Cheese (and its sister restaurants, Peter Piper Pizza), cites today’s technology as the reason behind the band’s removal.
“Back then, kids’ expectations of technology were much, much lower,” Leverton said. “A child today has such high expectations for entertainment that the animatronics, even at their absolute best, can’t live up to those expectations.”
Chuck E. Cheese has already begun phasing out the Pizza Time Players in seven locations, according to the Chicago Tribune. There are currently 512 corporate-owned Chuck E. Cheese restaurants in the United States.
“We removed the animatronics in seven locations,” Christelle Dupont, a spokeswoman from the chain’s Irving, Texas location, said to the Tribune on Wednesday. “We’re testing to see how those remodeled locations do and what parents and kids like and what’s resonating with them.”
While the Pizza Time Players have been a part of the restaurant chain for decades, they have suffered more than a few malfunctions and have fallen far behind today’s technology, according to NPR. The robots at some of the older locations creak louder than they play music and there have even been video compilations dedicated to the band’s best malfunctions.
If you want to see the Pizza Time Players one last time, the bands will be gradually phased out over the next few years. So, there’s still time! As for what is coming next, Leverton kept it vague but suggested the band will be upgraded.
“Our animatronics are certainly legendary, and they bring up fond childhood memories for millions of adults and fans across the country,” Leverton said in a statement. “As we move forward, we believe our live Chuck E. experience provides the best entertainment value for kids, who have higher expectations of both realism and special effects.”
And, of course, you can always catch the Pizza Time Players in your nightmares.