We’re back with another edition of Urban Legend: Fact or Fiction. Today, we will be looking at our most modern legend, the arcade in the Little Caesars in Saco, Maine. So grab a slice while we pull apart this mystery.
The internet has a way of taking small jokes and turning them into mass trolling campaigns, doubly so when the subject is mysterious. Five days ago, Reddit user Just-aReddit posted to r/Maine about the Little Caesars Pizza in Saco, Maine. Specifically asking other users about an alleged arcade inside the restaurant, because they don’t recall it having one. Then it gets weird…
“Yet online, the Google listing has thousands of reviews, and a significant number of them describe it as having arcade cabinets, games, tickets, prizes, and even people talking about new machines being added over time. There are photos attached to the listing that appear to show arcade interiors, and these are tied directly to the business,” the post reads.
The Arcade
The company did have an arcade at one point called Ceaserland, but it was only in select locations, seemingly none of which were in Maine.
It doesn’t seem like Just-aReddit is the first to stumble across this mystery either. Eight months ago, a now-deleted post titled “My local Little Caesars in Saco, Maine, has arcade photos on google?” appeared on r/LittleCaesars.
Between Yelp and Google Reviews, we were able to look at a few hundred evaluations for this location, and several do mention an arcade. We do have reason to believe that this mystery gaining traction online, caused an influx of fake reviews, which may have led these platforms to cull some. This would explain the discrepancy in numbers, with a probable splash of hyperbole in the original post, adding to it.
The bulk of the reviews that are still up mentioning the arcade popped up around 4 months ago. Several of which contain pictures of what looks like a legitimate arcade with an indoor go-kart track.
Asking About The Arcade
Many alleged locals responded to Just-aReddit’s post, saying it was an ongoing joke. However, when they reached out to the restaurant for clarification, they got some serious hostility.
“I called the store to ask for clarification,” the Redditor explains in an update. “I identified myself and said I was a local who had seen some confusing information online and wanted to clear it up. I did not make jokes or push the arcade angle. The response was abrupt. I was told not to call again and not to ask about the arcade. The call ended shortly after. That’s it. No explanation either way. If anything, the reaction just added to the confusion rather than resolving it.”
And when they attempted again, the reaction was even more extreme.
The Second Call
“The response was immediately hostile,” Just-aReddit writes. “I was told, very bluntly, that it did not matter what I said or did and that this was not something I was going to “win.” They also claimed that authorities had already been contacted and that Google had taken action regarding reviews. I have no way to verify either of those claims. The conversation escalated quickly after that. Additional remarks were made that were rude and unnecessary, at which point the call ended. I’m not adding this to sensationalize anything. I’m adding it because the reaction itself has become part of the pattern. Each attempt to clarify things results in a stronger shutdown, which seems to further reinforce the online narrative rather than dispel it. At this point, I’m done contacting the business directly. Whatever this started as, the response to it appears to be actively sustaining the mystery.”
But no longer calling Little Caesars didn’t stop the mystery. In an update, they claim to have gotten a phone call from someone saying they are “top dog of the law.” The caller advised Just-aReddit to stop “poking around where I don’t belong.” Just-aReddit was very clear that they do not believe that the caller was in law enforcement. They think it was the employee whom they spoke to with a voice modulator.
Theories
So why on earth does a Little Caesars Pizza without an arcade have so many reviews saying that it does? The most likely theory is that it started as a mistagged review and spiraled into an “Ask for Battletoads” situation.
For context, in 2007, there was a coordinated effort to call GameStop stores and request a preorder for “Battletoads II,” a nonexistent sequel to the 1991 game. Later, the now-defunct website battletoadspreorder.com was launched with a phone number for information about the video game. It really just generated phone numbers for random Church of Scientology locations. Eventually, the campaign moved on to calling the shop featured on the History Channel series “Pawn Stars.” Then, it just became an ongoing joke to call random places and ask for “Battletoads.”
It’s believed that someone went to review an arcade and misuploaded it to the Little Caesars in Saco. Noticing the mistake, locals began to make jokes about the arcade, and those reviews are what people started seeing last year. Once this started to go viral, internet smart asses just dogpiled on.
The employee’s hostility toward the phone calls also points to this being an “Ask for Battletoads” situation, since part of that troll was trying to get hostile responses. Something that was mostly achieved through the sheer volume of calls, which, let’s face it, became harassment. It makes perfect sense that the employee is sick of getting constant calls about a nonexistent arcade.
More Theories
YouTuber and musician Justin Whang pitched the idea on X that this is really just one person doing it all. A simultaneously more and less hilarious idea than it just being one of those things a bunch of trolls latched on to.
Other theories include that the “arcade” is really just illegal slot machines. This idea does explain the extremely hostile response, but it doesn’t explain why anyone would post about it. Most places engaging in illegal gambling make it pretty clear not to go around announcing it.
What are your thoughts? Do you believe this is just a simple mixup or do you think something less savory is going on?
Either way, no, this location does not have an arcade. These reviews are:
