- Dave & Buster's
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Dave & Buster's 
Type Private Industry Entertainment/Restaurant Founded Dallas, Texas (1982) Founder(s) David O. Corriveau;
James W. "Buster" CorleyHeadquarters Dallas, Texas, U.S. Number of locations 56 Key people Greg S. Feldman, Chairman
Stephen M. King, CEO and Director
Starlette B. Johnson, COO and President
Jeffrey C. Wood, Sr. VP and CDORevenue $536.3 million (2008) Owner(s) Oak Hill Capital Partners Employees 7,500 Website http://www.daveandbusters.com Dave & Buster's (D&B) is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas, Texas.[1] Each D&B has a full-service restaurant and a video arcade. As of July 1, 2009, the company had 57 locations across the United States and two in Canada. The company also licenses the D&B concept internationally through area licensing agreements. D&B acquired nine Jillian's locations after Jillian's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy[2][3] in 2004 and by December 2009 most, if not all, of these Jillian's locations had been re-branded with the Dave & Buster's name. The company announced on December 8, 2005, that it would be acquired by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management.[4] On July 16, 2008, Dave & Buster's Holdings Inc, filed with the SEC to again become a publicly traded company.[5] The company has not set yet a date for the IPO. In June 2010, Oak Hill Capital Partners, in partnership with the company's management team, completed its acquisition of Dave & Buster's from Wellspring Capital Management.[6]In July 2011, Dave & Buster's refiled with the SEC to raise up to $150 million USD in an initial public offering.[7]
Contents
Food and drinks
Items on the Dave & Buster's menu are offered from early lunch until late night and feature a wide variety of food. The selections include pastas, burgers, steaks, seafood, chicken and desserts. The menu is updated to reflect current trends and guest favorites. Some locations serve Sunday brunch and buffets are available for special events and private parties. All D&Bs offer full bar service.[8]
Games
The entertainment attractions offer both traditional games and high-tech entertainment. Dave & Buster's locations offers traditional entertainment options including: pocket billiards, shuffleboard tables, a "Show Room" or other special event rooms; which are designed for hosting social parties or business gatherings. The largest area in each Dave & Buster's is the Million Dollar Midway which contains numerous electronic, skill and sports-oriented games. The Dave & Buster's Power Card activates all the midway games (with the exception of coin action games) and can be recharged for additional play. The Power Card enables customers to activate games more easily and encourages extended play of games to increase customer spending. By replacing most coin activations, the Power Card has reduced the technical difficulties and maintenance issues associated with coin activated equipment. Furthermore, the Power Card feature has increased the company's flexibility in pricing and promoting of games. Games include:
- Galaxian Theater, a multi-participant, enclosed simulation theater where up to six players take part in mock battles with alien invaders;
- Iwerks Turbo Ride Theater, a 16- to 18-seat motion simulation theater; large-screen interactive electronic games;
- "The 19th Hole", a golf simulator;
- Simulator games such as formula race cars, off-road vehicles, fighter jets and motorcycles;
- Virtual world, a fantasy environment attraction;
- Virtuality, an interactive, electronic game designed to simulate an actual battlefield environment;
The company also contracts for exclusive games designed to build customer loyalty and repeat visits:
- "Super Trivia", a 6-person game that pits everyone to answer 5 multiple choice questions correctly in the fastest time possible. There are 3 choices for each question (A, B, & C), and ticket prizes are awarded to the top 3 contestants.
- Carnival-style games;
- Classic midway entertainment;
- D&B Downs, which is a multiple-player race game;
- Pump It Up, a 5-panel dance game from andamiro, incorporated in a large majority of D&B stores;
Ticket Redemption games;
- Wheel Of Fortune, based on the popular TV show where it has a cyclone and coin pusher game
- Spin n' Win a wheel game to hit 1000 tickets
- Deal or No Deal
- Fruit Ninja
- Big Bass Wheel, a wheel similar style to The Price Is Right's big wheel but it's formed as the shape of a frog in which people try to win 1000 tickets. You use a handle to push down to spin the wheel
- Speed Demon
- Wheel Deal
- Cyclone
- The Winner's Circle is the redemption center for coupons won from certain games. A variety of prizes are available, many with the Dave & Buster's logo. The prizes include stuffed animals, clothing, small electronic items, large electronic items, and novelties.
Other games are some of the old popular arcade games:
- Ms Pac-Man/Galaga, a multicade with Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga
- Mario Bros./ Donkey Kong
- Space Invaders 25th Anniversary
- Centipede/Millipede/Missile Command/Let's Go Bowling.
Events and sponsorships
Dave & Buster's is a corporate sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. There are screening rooms for every UFC pay-per-view and episode of The Ultimate Fighter. D&B also sponsors the charity Dave Bevans' Children in the fundraising event "D&B for DB's".
Prior sponsorships include a World Wrestling Entertainment match and a 2009 tour by the rock band Bowling for Soup. The WWE match took place on the July 20, 2009, edition of WWE Raw on the USA Network. It was a six-man tag team match pitting the team of Primo, Montel Vontavious Porter, and then WWE United States Champion Kofi Kingston versus the team of Carlito, Jack Swagger, and The Big Show. Primo's team won when he pinned his brother Carlito. It is believed to be the first match on any WWE program to have a specific sponsor associated with it.
See also
- Chuck E. Cheese's – similar concept, aimed at families with young children
References
- ^ "Contact Us." Dave & Buster's. Retrieved on November 4, 2009.
- ^ Dallas Business Journal: Sept 24, 2004-Dave & Busters and Gemini Investors to purchase Jillian's assets
- ^ Houston Business Journal: Oct 8, 2004-Dave & Buster's to turn out the lights on Katy Mills Jillian's
- ^ Business Wire: Dec 9, 2005-Dave & Buster's, Inc. Agrees to Be Acquired by Wellspring Capital for $18.05 Cash Per Share
- ^ Dave & Buster's owner seeks to go public again.
- ^ Oak Hill completes Dave & Buster's acquisition.
- ^ "Dave & Buster's files for a $150 million IPO". Renaissance Capital. 15 July 2011. http://www.renaissancecapital.com/ipohome/news/Dave-&-Busters-files-for-a-$150-million-IPO-9979.html.
- ^ Hospitality Guild.com Dave & Busters
External links
Categories:- Companies established in 1982
- Entertainment companies of the United States
- Companies based in Dallas, Texas
- Video arcades
- Regional restaurant chains in the United States
- Restaurants in Arkansas
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