Chuck E. Cheese counters Build-A-Bear's 'pay your age' day with a much worse deal

Chuck E. Cheese seemed to enjoy a peaceful day at his many establishments across America on Friday. Which probably means it wasn't so good for business.

After fellow kid-friendly hotspot Build-A-Bear incurred angry mobs during its "pay your age" day Thursday, Mr. Cheese launched a business-savvy counterattack. Kids disappointed by Thursday's Build-A-Bear promotion could come to participating Chuck E. Cheese's locations Friday for 30 minutes of play time for the same price as their age.

Build-A-Bear held a day where customers' age corresponded to how many dollars they'd spend on a furry friend — a tremendous deal, seeing as these animals can cost upwards of $35. But turnout was so good, it was catastrophic. Hours-long waits and angry patrons forced the bear-stuffing business to shut everything down and hand out $15 vouchers to the disgruntled throngs. So Charles Entertainment Cheese took direct aim in its Facebook post, announcing its own pay your age deal the next day.

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What a perfect swap. A kid who wanted a lifelong stuffed pal and the experience of building it would definitely rather have a measly half-hour of gaming with a rat. Cheese's promo isn't even a deal for kids 9 or older, as 30 minutes of All You Can Play already starts at $9. And bringing in more kids with a marketing gimmick only creates lines and subtracts from a kid's playtime countdown.

Then again, Build-A-Bear only had to worry about angry crowds and the potential for fights on one special Thursday. That's a lot more common at Chuck E. Cheese's.