Dave & Busters is legit like Chuck E Cheese but more easy-going, unique lookin' & visually-stimulating to adults, ppl's gaming vibe with the games & et-cetra tbqh.
Dave & Busters is one of the two chains in the US that can legally have the newest official versions of Dance Dance Revolution and partially responsible for DDR's current renaissance in the states.
I hope it doesn't turn into a licensing battle though. Round 1 for example has exclusive rights to the A20 gold cabs and I think Dancerush cabs too. Either that or DnB couldn't afford to buy Dancerush cabs from what I've heard.
@@enduser8410 that’s not really how it works, DDR A20 just the only Bemani game that have an official US server and require something like a 1000 unit minimum order for DDR cabs. The white cabs you see in D&B and Round1 are from an order that both companies went in on together and split. The gold cabs only access the Japanese servers and require another large order that D&B didn’t partake in.
I actually work for D&B as a technician who fixes the games, with management training and know-how which gives me an understanding on how the stores operate. He is not wrong about pretty much everything here. We did drop the "supercharge" option for buying/recharging cards and simplified the tier structure a bit but there isn't any falsehoods here. Also my go to games are Pump It Up, Crusin Blast, And Big Buck. I play the bonus mini games on Big Buck and if those guns are properly calibrated they are the most accurate guns in the building.
@@caucasiancrustacean1549 I can only play between 8~11 singles so there are plenty of people who are better than me. I have had higher skilled come to my store and tell me that after playing that this machine is the best one in the area. Everyone knows that LX cabinet is my baby. It was down for a couple weeks a month ago cuz we had a failure in the monitor we couldn't diagnose, had to turn away some disappointed players when they asked if I could turn it on.
Dave & Buster's is basically Chuck E. Cheese, but geared more towards adolescents and adults. Except for animatronics, the core concepts of food and arcade games are all there. What also differentiates them from Chuck E. Cheese is that Dave & Buster's features exclusive arcade games that people can only find at their locations.
Love Chuck E. Cheese. Pizza is good, and the kids have a nice time. They’re 5, 2, & 2. D&B was my hangout spot during my college years. It’s only gotten more popular…
I once went to Dave and Busters for a birthday party. The machine broke and started spitting out tickets, and we collected all of them. When the employees found out they took ALL our tickets, even the legitimately obtained ones. 7-year old me was frustrated.
@@rozomolo6489 Yea, e tickets now, but we would have to get a manager to take tickets. We can very much however reset the card reader to make it stop giving you more tickets
We recently got our first Round One in my area not long ago... haven't been there yet though. Concept sounds similar from what I can tell so I'd think it would be a hit.
I really like Dave and Busters, mostly for the games and prizes. I really like the new Minecraft Dungeons Arcade game they added recently, and there’s that one fishing game where you pull down on a lever to spin a wheel, which is always a solid choice when looking to get tickets.
Being from South Africa and never having known a Dave & Buster's, but loving Arcades, Bars and Restaurants, this is still the number one business idea I want to be able to do one day (with my own twists of course). While I always knew someone was bound to come up with it, I can't help feel a little jealous, while still feeling oh so inspired.
@@kevinkent6351 Ouch, inflation be a mofo. Although I think one big factor now is all of that tech is a lot cheaper now and the market is a lot bigger. Also, I would start smaller and with the indie scene.
Dave & Busters is the reason why I still go to the mall! Because I still love playing arcade games, especially lots of games don’t have the same experience like with online!
@@JayPlateFaceVideos I used to play pinball games at Tilt which was an old arcade that was dedicated to arcade machines, but that place closed down a decade ago. Dave and Busters was able to diversify and be more of entertainment which mall owners want more of the non-gaming crowd.
Worked at D&B in the mid to late 00s. Dave was largely absent when Wellspring took over, and Buster was very unceremoniously fired… no goodbyes, although he did go to the original store the next day (which was across the parking lot from corporate, causing a little drama lol). I believe Buster cared far more about providing a high quality experience than he did for wringing out the last dime of profit, resulting in some disagreement with Wellspring and the new CEO, and I think that was largely why they fired him… At that time the D&B kitchen was 95% scratch, and the new CEO was making changes to make things more like Friday’s... many of the nicer touches the stores had have long since vanished (ties, door men, pro bartenders… last time I went to D&B my bartender didn’t know what tonic was 😭). Both founders were well liked by the staff (many had been with the company since day one or earlier in Arkansas), and the company was a ton of fun to work for back then - definitely miss the good times we used to have when D&B were in charge.
The Power Card also commits a person to spending a required amount of money to play, much different than the traditional arcade style. No more putting in $1 bills for some quarters, now you're spending well above $10 just to play. That adds to the value of how much that Power Card holds. Still, I'd like to see you cover Round 1. It's the same concept as D&B, but created in Japan, and has been slowing expanding across the US. I prefer the Round 1, simply because they always have TWO of the latest Dance Dance Revolution cabs in their arcades.
@@sorimasn And Beatmania IIDX, Sound Voltex, GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, Chunithm, Groove Coaster. Basically the only places in the US where you can more Bemani stuff officially other than DDR.
One of the few places really keeping arcade games alive in the U.S., though ever since my area got a Round1 arcade, I hardly ever consider going to D&B. The varied selection of games and activities at Round1 appeal to me way more, with their wide array of crane games, more traditional arcade cabinets for things like fighting games and the extra activities like karaoke and a full bowling alley.
I worked for Dave and Busters as a senior game technician for a few years. It is without a doubt the most fun job I've had. I met Buster several years ago at Dave's memorial service. He was a genuinely nice man! Rumor has it that Dave wasn't as kind.
I've actually worked with D&B a couple of years ago as a game technician for about a year or so and it was right before they went to all digital tickets. I think the worst part was coming in super early in the morning and refilling all of the tickets in all of the machines and making sure all the prize machines had enough prizes in them. I was also responsible for the bowling alley, that was a trip.
It's a fun place for adults to game, and one of my favorite things was their hosting of the World Cup back in 2014. We got to enjoy huge watching parties for the USMNT at 8am with bfast buffets. Probably one of the best memories I have of going there.
Same here. I went to Dave & Busters years ago, and I wasn't impressed with their game selection. Maybe things have changed since then. Round 1 appeals to me more because of their rhythm game selection and other Japanese games you can't really find anywhere else in the U.S.
@@Dj.D25 It hasn't changed, rhythm game-wise and it never will. Given the types of people I've seen come and go through the rhythm games section and casually spectating their gameplay, the one thing that I've personally surmised as to why rhythm games never really caught on is that they're not afraid to to tell you when you're bad at playing it, either by kicking you out of the song early for failing too hard or giving you a very unflattering rank if one is allowed to play though it fully. Have seen dozens of walk-offs midplay because they probably didn't like how bad the game probably made them feel about their performance.
@@luigifan4585 I've seen it too and it's kind of frustrating. Too many people just give up even if the game they are playing is beginner friendly or easy to learn but can take years to master. Sometimes I catch them playing a song that's way too difficult for them, but they don't seem to be able to tell the difficulty scale. Still, rhythm games are games that require much practice and most casual gamers don't have the time or patience to understand these games and stick with them even though they are rewarding when doing so.
Many adults who grew up with arcades would love a place where they can have that experience, but with other adults from their era. They’re freed from the responsibility of having children around and can basically be kids again themselves.
Dave & Buster’s holds a special place in my heart for being the first arcade I legitimately wanted to go back to that didn’t just have 2 good games. Personally, I like playing the Injustice Arcade machine and the various card-based coin pushers. My only real issue is that according to an email that was sent to me, they were open on Christmas, depriving their employees of time to spend with their family.
I actually never knew it even existed until recent years. Just stumbled across it on vacation with someone we were with being familiar, and urging us to go. I still remember how jaw-dropped I was to see an actual Mario Kart arcade I had only known existed in vague talk across the internet. Played that round after round for a good while. Arcades and beer is just one of those things I'd dream to have, and yet never knew anybody ever put it out there. Locally, the idea is basically "arcades are dead, or you're on some tourist trap beach". Would love to come across one again.
I remember years ago that there was a Brony meet up at a Dave & Buster’s to watch the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic season four Premier and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I love Dave and Busters, me and my friends have hosted so many parties in the one in NYC all of them have been a huge hit, people who have never played games, who are reserved, so many broke out of their shell and had so much fun ,it is a magical place for adults. And the food is amazing too, all in all a great place. If you come to NYC please visit it, you will have a really great time.
Ah D&B. It now holds a special place in my heart. It was the last time I was in a restaurant bar pre COVID. Now I go there and it’s people panicking for any little thing. 🤦🏻♂️
I worked at D&B for a summer and really enjoyed my time there. Awesome co-workers awesome managers and awesome atmosphere. Never felt like work too much but a way to connect with people and get out of the house during the pandemic
The first time I ever heard of D&B when they came into my area, I thought this is great! Finally--a Chuck E Cheese for ADULTS! What a concept. Hey, adults like to have fun, too! Give them a game room with ADULT food and beverages! And no ball cage or crawl thru tunnels, because we couldn't fit through them, anyway! Its one of those places I always had in the back of my mind to go to, but I just never fell through with---maybe I need to request it for my birthday?
I went to a D&Bs in St Louis in '02 or '03 at the insistance of a friend. I found everything to be rediculously overpriced and felt they employed a similar operation policy like a casino-few clocks, using a plastic card for cash, exits tough to find, flashy loud noises. Played a few video games, had a burger and two beers. $80. You could still smoke inside back in those days so on my way out the door, I swiped a D&B ashtray. Had it for years and always referred to it as my $80 ashtray.
The arcade franchise I'm used to is called playdium, it might be just a Canadian thing. Two years ago for new years I spent it with friends at playdium because they where open till 12:30. We played all night and at the end around 11:50, they gathered all the people there in the bar and did a count down. Gave the adults some drinks and kids some juice. Even had lights and sounds go off when it hit the count down. Probably my favorite new years eve celebration.
Just like everyone else, Dave & Busters is definitively the adult version of Chuck E Cheese. Meanwhile Round1 to me is the unicorn of arcade franchises!
Funny story: A friend of mine opened a whole box of Pokemon trying for the Fat Pikachu Rainbow, didnt get it. I won a pack at Dave and Buster's with points and Pulled the Fat Pikachu. Crazy stuff.
Personally, I always go for the nostalgia games like House of the Dead/Time Crisis. Those were my favorite games growing up in the 90s/2000s. Unfortunately, they tend to be a bit borked, or they have the NEWEST one and it's just not as fun as the first few.
Dave and Busters makes for a fun family outing or a night out with friends. You can take the kids during the afternoon or on a weekend and you won’t get bored like you would at a Chuck E Cheese or go for a fun night out. The fact it has more for all ages is definitely a factor in its popularity. My favorite is actually the trivia game because I can crush it and get a lot of tickets.
I'm shocked at how good the food is - been there for company outing's, birthday parties, just hanging out, etc. Before I ate there, I figured their food was just their "side-gig" thing and that their focus was the entertainment area - so I thought the food would be gross like Applebee's. The first Dave & Buster's food I ever had were these cheeseburger sliders - we had ordered ~50 of them for our department outing. It was quite literally one of the best burger I've ever had.
Definitely gotta speak against the "steakhouse" part. Their food is mediocre at best, and definitely seems overpriced. The entertainment is fun, but I'd prefer to eat before or after being there rather than at their restaurant
My work used to do their annual holiday party at D&B. The food was served buffet-style, so I always got a small sampling of everything. Most of what they had to offer was decent, a few options were actually pretty good, and of course there were a few duds. If I were ordering off the menu, I definitely wouldn't go for the steak, but most things are at least on par with other national sports-bar chains (Chili's, Applebee's, Red Robin, etc.), so I suspect their steaks are probably comparable to those places as well. If you are looking for a quality steak, you're probably not going to want to go to a chain restaurant for it, or at least go to one that actually specializes in steaks like Outback.
I worked at one and it was huge. Of course the usual games, bar and restaurant, but we also have a 10 lane bowling alley, billiards hall with 9 very nice tables and a full dance club with it's own small bar, DJ booth and dance floor. There is a small Hibachi grill. It is a place to take a date and do several things under one roof. Dave & Busters at Concord Mills in Concord, NC is the place to go. In the mall itself, has a solid 1 mile walking path, 18 screen theater and a ton of cool shops. D&B is the best, I loved playing Derby Owners Club.
I went to a place like this in Long Island called Jillian’s for a birthday once and it eventually became a Dave & Busters. Then Dave & Busters started popping up across NYC.
My wife decided to treat my son and I (along with her family) to Dave and Busters in Massachusetts for our shared birthday. We had reservations and everything. The service was so bad thay after waiting way too long to not get our food we left. Her family drove home disgusted and we went to the near by hibachi place. They saved the night with their great service. Years later they still email her about taking down her Yelp review. It was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. Dirty tables, incompetent staff and rude employees. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy.
I live in Canada, about 2 hours outside Toronto, which is where the nearest Dave & Busters is. I think the model works best when it is more of a destination and not in every city. With that being said, my late brother in law loved it there so I'm a bit of a sucker for it and willl take my nephews occasionally (who also love it, specifically a well calibrated shooting game)
I wish a Dave and Busters would open up in Morgantown WV. We don't have anymore arcades here, they all closed down due to COVID. We also have 2 malls that a D&Bs could easily open up in. The nearest D&B is over an hour away!
Dave and Busters is so successful in Pittsburgh that other chains like Latitude 40/360, Main Event, Scene75 and smaller independent places like Zone 28 (used to be called Funfest) can thrive as well. P.S. I have worked in the entertainment business since 2010. Apex Entertainment is not in Pittsburgh yet but they are great too (I attended the location in Virginia Beach VA).
Please do one on my current employer... Round 1 bowling and amusement. Currently 47 US stores and several across japan. Would love to know how it actually differs from a traditional arcade/entertainment venue
hey,company man,Great video! Another arcade chain is "Round 1" and there is a big one at the mall I frequent and they are all over California. can you do a video on them? :)
The closest thing is Round 1. In terms of Arcade, Round 1 wrecks them. D&B wins in food and bar. Round 1 has bowling though. Both have the same games, unless you're into japanese games, then you'll prefer Round 1.
@@AKUNJIG Round 1 is a japanese chain so they are the closest we have to a japanese arcade in the west. They take better care of their machines, but I'm pretty sure D&B makes more money as it is already established here and has name recognition. The pandemic has not been good for either of them, but I'm guessing that D&B has more than enough money to have survived. Idk how Round 1 is doing.
I love Dave and Busters, and arcades in general, but the card system so many use now is 100 percent a huge scam, pretty much for exactly the reasons mentioned at the end of this video. The only reason to obfuscate the amount spending is to try and get you to spend more. At least in the case of DnB they are getting new huge games, some smaller more local arcades are doing things like this and running tech from 20 years ago that barely works.
I grew up with Discovery Zone, Chuck E. Cheese and Funscape, so seeing an adult version of that, like Dave and Busters or the main Event makes me happy.
My aunt was a manager at the DNB in Atlanta. So let’s just say I had many advantages when it came to my first visit and everyone after. Going to DnB was the highlight of every visit to atlanta. Top tier food and the games were always on point. I even learned how to play pool there.
Soon as I turned 12 my parents told me I was too big for Chuck E Cheese. Then we started going to Dave & Busters. lol I still enjoy going there in my 30s.
I remembered that you'd covered this and came back to it after seeing reports of Buster unfortunately committing suicide. Wanted to rewatch for the portion of how they initially came together and how they both ultimately left around 2006-2007. I'm glad they kept their original names, even after selling and eventually leaving the company.
I feel like you’ve been rapid firing these videos out lately which is great! Whenever you post a new one, I always call my girlfriend in the room and we watch them!
I have fond memories of Dave & Buster's though I haven't gone in many years now. They first opened up in my area in the early 2000's where a friend and I would go weekly until we both had Power Player Gold cards which gave additional discounts on games. To this day I still have a few prizes which I won through gaming tickets. My go to game was Safari Reel because I got good at landing on the jackpots. After awhile we stopped going to D&B but the location still operates in the entertainment district as of 2021.
My wife and I were so excited when Dave & Busters opened up near us. It gives us an easy fun date option on the weekend whenever we don't have anything else planned. The main problem was they got so crowded during peak hours that it was difficult to get playing time. We'd have to plan our trips for early Sunday in order to avoid a crowd. They aren't so crowded since the pandemic though, so we've started going back more often. I think it's great because although it's marketed towards adults, it is something the entire family can go to and enjoy, and there aren't many places that are fun for both parents and kids of all ages. My favorite game is Mario Kart, especially when playing with friends. Really enjoy the Jurassic Park shooter too.
My go to has to be space invaders. It's so cool how big and bright the screen is and the fact that you're aiming with a turret makes it more immersive than an older version of the same game
Calling it a "steakhouse" is far too generous. Been to D&B many times since the 1990s and the experience has been consistent: food quality & service okay (not great) and on par with Applebees. Most of the time patrons at other tables appear to be families with teen/pre-teen children who turn the kiddos loose in the arcade while soaking up booze. Like mommy & daddy's Big Night Out® for the month.
7:12 Wow I had no idea that “Time Out” Arcades were related to Dave and Busters. I used to go to the one at Post Oak Mall in College Station, TX for years! That place was incredible.
D&B feels like Applebees or Chilis with an arcade attached. Not really a place I want to spend my time or money but there's certainly a market for it if their success is any indication.
Love Dave & Busters, I go maybe once a year since it's a little out of the way. The only thing that started to concern me was thier switch to digital ordering and payment with their food. I can see how it's useful and convenient but when your location is a data and wifi dead zone the website doesn't work and it was an absolute headache. I've seen some chains go through little kiosk ordering methods which is fine but using an app puts a lot more on the user.
I'm not a huge gamer, but whenever I'd go with my friends, we'd always take our tickets and give them to little kids we'd see walking around with their cups of tickets. Sure it's fun to win free stuff, but I'd rather see some kid get all excited by handing them a handful of tickets. :)
I just took my 9 year old son there two days ago on Wednesday. I didn’t realize it was half price for the games so that’s an added plus but I will tell you we played for close to 2 hours together and had a blast.
When you come to Dave and Busters you spend your real money but you leave with Dave and Busters money, thus giving you incentive to come back. Now I think that's brilliant.
I’ve only been there a couple times. That card is primarily the reason. It is a deceptive practice and, if I remember correctly, I was given a couple other cards from my group and in total they had enough to play one more round of a game. The machine would not let me swipe more than a single card, though, meaning all the cards were stuck with 3 points or whatever on them and nothing you can do with them. So if every card has points left, that is money they have seized from each customer and no way to exchange them back for USD.
Basically a chain barcade. They don’t have classic games like pac man in their original form for the old timers, but updated versions that look better and cost more. They use the space buck system so you never know how much you’re actually spending. Their games are the newest and exclusive. The Namco and Sega 4d horror games (house of the dead) are reason enough to go. Arcades have been dead for years, it’s good to see there’s somebody keeping them alive, even if it’s an overpriced chain. I’ve never eaten food there, but I’m sure it’s average and overpriced.
I personally find them to be too expensive, and as a retro gamer, there's not enough stuff in there for me to play. The ticket redemption was the last thing I would play in arcades. Absolutely hate the chip system. Round One does this as well, but at least they get a few legitimate arcade titles in. Unfortunately, it also means that round of Marvel vs Capcom 2 is likely $1.50.
Thanks for the video. Still haven't been to one, even though there's one in my state, but it's about 100 miles away. Would like to go there someday when things open up again.
From 1998 to 2004 on the fourth floor of the mall of America there was a place called Jillian’s. It had everything, good food, adult arcade, however it had a bowling alley instead of the sports bar/tv angle. Dave & busters didn’t show up in the big city Minneapolis landscape until 2010, and even then we had to drive to the far north west corner of Minneapolis in order to get to it. Now I live in south-central Pennsylvania and the closest Dave & Buster’s to me is in Philly 2 hours away. They need to have a lot more locations IMO.
I've been in a Dave & Buster's a couple of times. They're ok, but WAY overpriced for what you get. The food is fine, but everything is over $20. There are fancy games, but they're like $2 to play a 1 minute game. It's hard to spend any time in there without spending at least $50, and you can easily do that in a hour. If you want food, go to a restaurant. If you want games, go to an arcade...
When I was a kid my family went to a place similar to Dave and Buster called Pete Rose Ballpark Cafe. They were a Baseball themed Sports Bar and Arcade. There had TVs at every booth and an arcade area right down a ramp. Dave and Busters never opened in my hometown
I didn't know Dave & Buster's started that long ago. I remember one opened near me in the early 2000s and by that time arcades were already well on the decline so I perceived it as someone trying to bring back arcades, but it turns out they've been around since the arcade's heyday. I think they survive today because they have exclusive games and focus on casual players. Party games just aren't something that is offered all that much with home gaming and these types of games are better live with friends. The combo of food and beer makes it a cool place to hang out with some friends for the night: grab some food and then play some games. The last time I was there though I got bored with what games were offered and left with a chunk of change still left on my Power Card. I guess my favorite game is Pac-Man Battle Royale.
I didn't even know this place was still around. I remember going to the one at Irvine Spectrum like 15 years ago, a number of birthday parties held there.
