Is This The End For Chuck E. Cheese's Animatronics?

Aside from pizza and games, Chuck E. Cheese's is best known for its famous band of animatronic figures that serenade pizza parties. But the kid-focused chain is in the process of revamping its image, and, among other changes taking place, the animatronics are being shown the door, possibly permanently, according to CBS.

Four San Antonio locations and three in Kansas City are the first to say goodbye to the wacky, janky animatronics, which have been central to the chain's concept since the first location opened in San Jose, California, in 1977. Open kitchens, muted colors, and dance floors that let kids get down with Chuck E. (in the form of a costumed employee) are also a part of the new design. The chain has also been improving its food game in recent years, with gluten-free pizza, wraps, and thin-crust pizza joining the menu of pizza party fare.

If you've spent any time with kids in the past few years, you probably already know that they're more interested in playing video games and eating pizza than watching a band of borderline-creepy animatronic characters pretend to play instruments and sing hokey songs. The figures simply aren't a central focus of kids' attention any more, and that goes for the company, too.

If the San Antonio and Kansas City concepts do well, expect to see every location remodeled in the same fashion, and get ready to kiss those animatronic figures goodbye once and for all. For 20 more fascinating facts about Chuck E. Cheese's, click here.