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Do you remember Jim E. Cheese's Funtime Factory?
In 1980, Chuck E. Cheese's expanded to the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands by opening up 68 locations under the name of Jim E. Cheese's Funtime Factory. The locations were converted from abandoned Little Chefs (even that one went defunct, but in 2018).
The animatronics were not recycled from Chuck E. Cheese's. Instead, an animatronic company named Specialties and Gifts (now defunct as of 1999) made specific animatronics. Jim E. Cheese was depicted as a mouse rather than a rat (like Chuck E. Cheese). The other characters were: Pandera the panther, Lucky the lion, Rocky the dog, and Meowbow the cat.
In 1984, the owner was riding on a motorcycle to visit his grandparents. Suddenly, he lost control and fell. Sadly, he never recovered, and he died in the hospital.
This led to Jim E. Cheese's Funtime Factory being sold to a different owner. Due to the "Jim E." part sounding like Jimmy (Jimmy was actually a nickname for an obscure Manx serial killer in the 60s), the new owner had to adopt "Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre" and all the original animatronics were destroyed in a fire. Later, the original Chuck E. Cheese's animatronics were placed, and Jim E. Cheese's Funtime Factory would become a relic of the past.
Sadly, in 1995, all Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre locations in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man were closed because the new owner was exposed for actually being a drug kingpin and illegally smuggling drugs. The vacant premises would eventually be adapted for other restaurants, such as Greggs, McDonald's, Brewers Fayre, Wetherspoon...
Submitted 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Whopper1
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Man, those were the days. Everything felt simpler, and a trip to Jim E. Cheese's was like entering another world. Those animatronics may look creepy now, but as a kid, they were the coolest thing ever. Can almost hear the music when I think about it. Shame about what happened to the owner, though. That stuff with the serial killer nickname and drugs... rough patch for the chain for sure.
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This is the kind of obscure history I live for. It's bizarre to think about how different things were back then, even the business decisions. The whole motorcycle accident is tragic. Wonder what would've happened if the original owner had survived. Maybe Jim E. Cheese's would've been a household name.
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I actually remember going to one of those locations. It didn’t last long, but it was a good time. The Little Chef to animatronic palace transformation was straight-up weird, but as a kid, you don't question these things. You just enjoy the lights and the laughter. After it turned into Chuck E. Cheese, the magic kinda faded though. The Jim E. animatronics had character, the replacements... not so much.
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Wow this brings back memories! Jim E. Cheese's pizza was never as good as the entertainment. Used to go for the arcade games and the show. Didn't know about the whole drug kingpin scandal, that's wild. Such a shame the fun had to end that way.
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Holy cheeseballs, Jim E. Cheese's Funtime Factory! Used to be the highlight of my childhood. Remember the wonky Pandera the Panther? Her eye used to twitch all the time! Can't believe all the animatronics got destroyed, what a huge loss for nostalgia buffs. I've always been fascinated by these old animatronic characters and the stories behind them. Thanks for reminding me of these gems!