Misplaced Pages

Enterrium (formerly known as Level 257 then Pac-Man Entertainment) is a contemporary American restaurant and video arcade located at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois. The restaurant and entertainment destination was originally inspired by Pac-Man and the name refers to the famous kill screen, which occurs when the player reaches the 256th level of the original Pac-Man game, meaning "the next level of dining and entertainment". It was owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment from 2015 to 2021, which also owns all Pac-Man-related intellectual property. The restaurant celebrated its soft opening on March 2, 2015, and its grand opening in April 2015.

In May 2021, the location was sold to Kiddleton, a joint venture between GENDA and Round One Corporation, and was rebranded as the Enterrium.

Style

It sits on 42,000 square feet which was previously used as a warehouse for a Sears department store. In addition, the restaurant also features sixteen boutique bowling lanes, table tennis and social sports, as well as video and board games in the Lost & Found Game Lounge. The interior decor is up-scale modern urban-chic in style and includes levels of references to the video game character Pac-Man. The menu also features references to well-known video game terms of the 1980s, such as "1-UP", chocolate "power pellets", and "Game Over".

History

The restaurant was first conceived as a prototype in 2013, when Namco announced that the restaurant (codenamed Level 256 at the time) was being developed in partnership with a restaurateur in Kansas City, saying that were eyeing the Chicago area for possible locations. The restaurant celebrated its soft opening on March 2, 2015.

In May 2021, Pac-Man Entertainment was sold to Kiddleton, following Bandai Namco's decision to withdraw the amusement facility business in North America, citing the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacting their business. Pac-Man Entertainment would be rebranded as the Enterrium, stripping the location of its Pac-Man theme.

Events

The restaurant celebrated the 35th anniversary of Pac-Man on Friday, May 22, 2015. It featured a live performance of "Pac-Man Fever" by Jerry Buckner of Buckner & Garcia.

References

1. "The makers of Pac-Man bank on nostalgia to fuel themed eatery". December 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
2. ^ "Pac-Man-inspired restaurant opens at Woodfield". February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
3. "About - Enterrium". Enterrium. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
4. "Pac-Man Restaurant Now Open, Looks Amazing". Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
5. "Pac-Man-themed eatery opening soon at Woodfield". December 30, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
6. "Quality Time with Level 257". March 1, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
7. "Notice of Business Acquisition from NAMCO USA INC". GENDA. May 13, 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
8. "Official Pac-Man Restaurant Coming To Chicago Next Month". December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
9. "Pac-Man-themed restaurant coming to Sears' Woodfield space". January 20, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
10. "Opening Alert: Look Inside Pac-Man Creators' Cavernous Restaurant and Entertainment Complex". February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
11. "Namco planning prototype upscale entertainment restaurant to expand arcade business". Polygon. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
12. "Pac-Man the star of new eatery, entertainment complex in Woodfield Mall". February 25, 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
13. "Bandai Namco Will No Longer Handle Amusement Facilities in America". Siliconera. March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
14. "Celebrate the 35th PAC-MAN™ Birthday Bash". May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.

External links

• Official website

42°02′44.6″N 88°2′5.6″W / 42.045722°N 88.034889°W / 42.045722; -88.034889

• 2015 establishments in Illinois
• Buildings and structures in Cook County, Illinois
• Former Bandai Namco Holdings subsidiaries
• Pac-Man
• Restaurants established in 2015
• Restaurants in Illinois
• Theme restaurants
• Video arcades