The Coronavirus Pandemic Could Mean The End Of Chuck E. Cheese’s

If the idea of your kids flopping around in a ball pit made you squeamish before, thinking about a ball pit in the post-coronavirus pandemic world probably horrifies you.

According to reports, the beloved kids' birthday party go-to, Chuck E. Cheese's, has been hit hard by the pandemic and is trying to find ways to avoid bankruptcy.

With the game and party portion of the business not able to operate during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, some Chuck E. Cheese's kept going by offering pickup and delivery pizza and wings, but The Wall Street Journal said that it might not have been enough to rescue the chain that's currently more than $1 billion in debt.

The story goes on to say that company officials are trying to find ways to keep going without having to declare bankruptcy, including hopes of taking out loans up to $200 million.

There are currently more than 600 Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants in operation, including a pair of restaurants that are local to the Jersey Shore, with a Brick Plaza location in Ocean County and a Middletown Marketplace location in Monmouth County.

As of this writing, the dining rooms and arcades at the Brick and the Middletown locations are closed, but they're both offering takeout and delivery.

Businesses are taking a hard hit following the coronavirus shutdowns, with chains like Ruby Tuesday announcing multiple closures, including 3 Shore locations that are now closed permanently.

On the non-edible side of things, the parent company of Zales, Kay, and Jared Jewelers announced that they will be either closing or not reopening hundreds of locations following the pandemic shutdowns.