The Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Conspiracy That Had Customers In Shambles

The concept of an arcade eatery isn't novel. Bowling alleys, "barcades," Dave & Buster's, and venues of that ilk have always catered to the modern luxury of combining gaming and greasy food. Chuck E. Cheese is part of this lineage, but unlike its brethren, it may have a bigger reputation in fiction than in reality. Surprisingly, the greatest conspiracy surrounding the establishment has nothing to do with "haunted" buildings or uncanny animatronic shows, but rather rumors of unsanitary pizza preparation.

In 2019, Chuck E. Cheese found itself at the center of an internet conspiracy alleging that it was reheating leftover pizza slices from previous customers and then using them to assemble "fresh" pizzas for the next crowd. If true, this practice would be a major health code violation with damning professional consequences for those involved. While some kitchen nightmares manifest in the restaurant industry, there isn't enough evidence to count the Chuck E. Cheese pizza fiasco as one of them, as the most considerable "evidence" came from a single YouTube video.

At the height of his fame on the platform, now-disgraced YouTuber Shane Dawson (who was involved in multiple controversies, including posting racist content) ran a series of conspiracy theory videos that captivated millions of viewers. He explored various Chuck E. Cheese-related theories as part of it — everything from rigged arcade games to underage gambling — and he ordered a few pizzas at the restaurant to investigate. It appeared that the pizza slices were mismatched, but there was no evidence to prove that they were put together from the leftover scraps of other customers' previous orders.

Chuck E. Cheese refuted the claims about recycled pizza slices, calling them "unequivocally false" in a statement to Today. Of course, most companies would deny involvement in such a wild scheme, regardless of whether it was true or not. However, no legal actions were taken against Chuck E. Cheese, nor was there any disclosed proof of the chain violating sanitation laws in the manner alleged by the conspiracy. Sometimes the truth is less exciting than fiction, and some people have fun not knowing which is which.

There are two reasonable explanations for receiving mismatched pizza slices. Chuck E. Cheese offers half-and-half pizzas, where customers can choose different toppings on each side. It's possible that some kitchens fire up two different pies and switch the halves, still ensuring they remain fresh and sanitary. However, the most likely cause of mismatched pizza slices is an indicator of how the food is prepared.

Chuck E. Cheese claims that its pizza is made to order, meaning the chefs roll and stretch the dough by hand before putting it in the oven (via ABC). Heat makes the dough rise, and cooling makes it harden. It's easier to cut pizza while it's still warm because the dough hasn't had enough time to settle, and this can create warped slices that don't look like they're from the same pie. The odd appearance is the result of staff rushing to put something on the table rather than a sinister corporate scheme to save money.