The Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade), the body responsible for ensuring free and fair competition in Brazil, approved the acquisition of Playcenter by the chocolate chain Cocoa Show.
The company explained the decision, claiming that it plans to expand its area of activity to other markets in which it is not yet present.
“During our first 35 years of history, cocoa and chocolate have always been present in our brand. Now, and in the coming years, the time has come to emphasize even more our ‘show’, which goes beyond our product”, said Alê Costa, founder of Cacau Show.
The approval came almost two months after the purchase, completed on February 20, announced by Alexandre Costa and the founder of Grupo Playcenter, Marcelo Gutglas, during an event at Playland at Shopping Eldorado.
At the time, much was speculated about what Cacau Show’s first steps would be with the new brand, but at the time of publishing this article, the company has not yet revealed what it plans.
Apparently, the initial idea is for the chocolate chain to carry out activations and manage the food side of Playlands, reformulation of Playcenter for shopping centers, and Playcenter Family.
After the purchase of the Chocolates Pan factory, more rumors emerged indicating that Cacau Show was planning to build a large theme park on the site. Speculation of a possible construction gained even more relevance when the Itu City Council announced that the brand will build a park in the city, located in the interior of São Paulo, with a budget of R$2 billion. The project will be carried out between kilometers 78 and 84.3 of the Castello Branco Highway, becoming the largest park in Latin America.
Cacau Show’s investments in the amusement park sector this year may come as a surprise to some, but it is something it has been doing since last year. In October 2023, the store built a park in the courtyard of the Itapevi factory, in São Paulo. The space featured a roller coaster, which was assembled in eight days, a carousel and a cinema train. In the first weekend of operation alone, the park attracted 4 thousand people.
The rise and fall of Playcenter
The famous and one of the first parks in São Paulo was opened in 1973, following the models established in the United States and Europe.
Created by engineer Marcelo Gutglas, who brought the arcade concept to Brazil in the late 1960s, the Playcenter was initially made with simple attractions that were expanded over the years, such as “Montanha Encantada”, “La Bamba”, “Maria Fumaça”, “Colossus”, “Castelo Mal Assombrado” the most popular, “Monga” and “Noite do Terror”.
Despite having been the epicenter of entertainment during the 80s, the park faced a crisis due to an accident on one of the rides in 1995, which led the founder to sell part of the shares to GP Investimentos, creator of the Hopi Hari.
Years later, more precisely in 2002, Gutglas took control of the park again, starting a major renovation in 2005. However, the accidents in 2010 and 2011 and the growth of the urban area in the region sealed the end of the Playcenter, which only returned with Playlands, with several units spread across cities such as São Paulo, Osasco, Santo André and Salvador.
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