You may not have realized it, but the TODAY Show reports that Grubhub and other delivery apps may have been providing you with food made in Chuck E. Cheese and Applebee’s kitchens but sold under a different name.
Perhaps you have seen the trending Chuck E. Cheese topic on Twitter, and that’s because some people have found out that Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, a delivery spot, has the same address as Chuck E. Cheese. In case you don’t know, Pasqually is a chef that is in the animatronic band that sometimes performs at the restaurant. It seems as if he has taken on a new role.
Kendall Neff is a Reddit user that said they ordered from Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings and then asked the driver if the pizza was picked up from the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. When text messages came from the driver, there was confirmation that that is where the food was picked up.
An email was then sent to TODAY by Chuck E. Cheese with confirmation that pizza and wings were being sold from the restaurant kitchens. They did say that it “features a thicker crust, extra sauce, and new blends of cheeses and seasonings, giving consumers a more flavorful, more premium pizza experience.”
“CEC Entertainment, Inc. recently launched Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings nationwide,” the rep emailed the show. “Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, named after another favorite member of Munch’s Make Believe Band, shares kitchen space with the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, ensuring high-quality, fresh ingredients.”
Applebee’s is trying something similar, using the name “Neighborhood Wings by Applebee’s” to sell their wings. This includes the new Honey Pepper Sauce wing flavor and ordering higher wing counts.
“At Applebee’s restaurants, wings are a top-selling menu item. We rolled out the launch of Neighborhood Wings by Applebee’s over the past 4-6 weeks on GrubHub, and it’s available in nearly 750 restaurants nationwide,” Scott Gladstone, VP, Strategy and Development at Applebee’s, said in a statement to Delish. “While the concept has been in development for months, our recent model shift to an only off-premise business was a great opportunity for us to launch and further serve our guests. This virtual restaurant allows guests to get their Applebee’s wings fix and gives us the opportunity to test out new items made for wing lovers that aren’t on our main menu.”
“Ghost kitchens” are nothing new. These restaurants, which are only sometimes available for to-go orders, have been popular, but now that the COVID-19 pandemic is here, they are gaining even more popularity. USA Today reports that these “virtual spinoffs” are not all that uncommon. They sometimes use them to test new menus or concepts.