Full-Time
Restaurant and Operations Manager
Posted on 9/4/2025
Dave & Busters
10,001+ employees
Arcade gaming and dining entertainment chain
Compensation Overview
$52.2k - $61.4k/yr
Allentown, PA, USA
In Person
 Operations & Logistics (1) |
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- 21+ years of age
- 2+ years of Restaurant/Hospitality Experience
- Proficient in managing the cost of goods sold and labor
- Ability to lead a team to create a memorable guest experience
- True leadership capabilities
- The ability to work weekends, nights, and holidays
- Not afraid to work in a fast-paced, noisy environment with distracting conditions
- Developing and leading hourly team members to exceed guest’s expectations
- Demonstrating proactive leadership by ensuring positive staff and guest experiences through personal interactions
- Interacting with guest service-focused team members in areas of recruiting, hiring, coaching, training, and contentious professional development
- Living our core values along with leading others to do so while collaborating with the management team to achieve high-quality and timely results
- Love working in a fast-paced, multi-faceted Restaurant/Entertainment scene
- Ability to communicate with Team Members and Guests in a way that inspires FUN
- Enjoy immediate gratification from improving experiences
- Ability to handle 100K days while walking five miles a shift & working an average of 50-hour work weeks
- Ability to oversee all aspects of the business - from the most minor details to the big picture
Dave & Buster's operates a chain of entertainment venues that blend arcade games, sports viewing, and full-service dining. Guests can pay to play a wide range of arcade games, order meals and drinks from a bar and restaurant, and watch live or televised sports in a large, social setting. The venues also host events such as corporate parties and social gatherings, offering packages that combine games, food, and drinks. The product experience centers on visiting a single location for both entertainment and dining, rather than solely playing games or eating separately. In comparison to competitors, Dave & Buster's differentiates itself by providing a large, integrated entertainment and hospitality venue that targets families, young adults, and corporate groups, rather than a narrow focus on games or dining alone. Its goal is to attract guests to a venue that offers a comprehensive, social entertainment experience in one place, encouraging repeat visits and planning for events and groups.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas
Founded
1982
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Six consecutive months of same-store sales improvements signal back-to-basics strategy gaining meaningful traction.
- Food and beverage same-store sales grew 7% in Q4 2025, demonstrating successful menu revamp and pricing power.
- Eleven new store openings planned for fiscal 2026 with $100M+ free cash flow forecast enables accelerated expansion.
What critics are saying
- Q4 revenue missed estimates by 4.5% with 3.3% same-store sales decline signals persistent consumer discretionary pullback.
- Round1 USA's aggressive expansion with 20+ arcades undercuts Dave & Buster's pricing in secondary markets.
- Two-year 6% annual same-store sales declines suggest structural traffic weakness despite recent quarterly improvements.
What makes Dave & Busters unique
- Integrated arcade, dining, and sports bar model creates comprehensive entertainment destination competitors cannot replicate.
- Licensed game titles from John Wick and Mandalorian franchises drive traffic through exclusive entertainment IP partnerships.
- Main Event acquisition expands addressable market to family segments beyond core young adult demographic.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Flexible Work Hours
Company News
Dave & Buster's Entertainment shares surged Wednesday after the restaurant and arcade chain forecast over $100 million in free cash flow for fiscal 2026, despite reporting a fourth-quarter loss. The company's revenue declined less than 1% to $529.6 million in Q4, with comparable store sales falling 3.3% due to heavy winter storms. Dave & Buster's posted an adjusted net loss of $12 million, or $0.35 per share, compared to a profit of $25.3 million the previous year. However, CEO Tarun Lal highlighted improving trends, noting six consecutive months of same-store sales growth when adjusting for storm impacts. The company plans to revamp its menu and introduce new games based on popular characters like John Wick and The Mandalorian to drive traffic.
Dave & Buster's Entertainment reported a $40 million net loss, or $1.15 per diluted share, for Q4 2025, with total revenue reaching $530 million. The company posted an adjusted EBITDA of $111 million with a 21% margin and generated $103 million in operating cash flow during the quarter. The entertainment chain reported six consecutive months of same-store sales improvements for its Dave & Buster's brand, with roughly flat same-store sales in the first fiscal month of 2026. Food and beverage same-store sales increased approximately 7% in Q4 2025. Looking ahead, Dave & Buster's expects to generate more than $100 million in free cash flow during fiscal year 2026, with planned capital expenditures capped at $200 million. The company plans to open 11 new stores, including eight Dave & Buster's and three Main Events locations.
Dave & Buster's reported Q4 2025 revenue of $529.6 million, missing analyst estimates of $554.4 million by 4.5%. The arcade company's adjusted loss of $0.35 per share significantly underperformed expectations of $0.46 profit per share. Revenue remained flat year on year, whilst adjusted EBITDA of $111.4 million missed estimates by 10.4%. Operating margin fell to -2.6% from 8.3% in the prior year quarter. Same-store sales declined 3.3% year on year, though this represented an improvement from the 9.4% decline in the previous year's quarter. Despite recent challenges, CEO Tarun Lal noted the company's "back-to-basics strategy continues to gain meaningful traction". Over the past two years, same-store sales have averaged 6% annual declines, though new store openings have supported overall revenue.
Dave & Buster's will report earnings on Tuesday after market close. Last quarter, the arcade company posted revenue of $448.2 million, down 1.1% year on year, missing analysts' expectations and significantly underperforming on adjusted operating income and earnings per share estimates. Analysts expect revenue to grow 3.5% year on year this quarter, reversing last year's 10.8% decline. Analyst estimates have remained stable over the past 30 days. Peers Live Nation and Planet Fitness recently reported Q4 results beating expectations with revenue growth of 11.1% and 10.5% respectively. Dave & Buster's shares are down 31.5% over the past month, trading at $9.76 against an average analyst price target of $26.50. The consumer discretionary leisure facilities sector has underperformed recently, declining 7.5% on average.
This restaurant chain is hiding $15K diamond rings in Human claw machines. This isn't the first place Wide Open Country think of to pop the question, but finding a 3-carat ring there is quite the inducement. Dave & Buster's isn't the first or even the second place Wide Open Country think of when it comes to popping the question. But the possibility of finding a 3-carat diamond ring there is certainly an inducement. Travis Kelce 'lives his life the right way' To celebrate Valentine's Day, the restaurant and arcade chain has hidden some finger shackles worth $15,000 throughout its 156 locations nationwide. If you want to know how you can snag this ice, check out the details below. Dave & Buster's wants you to play a game. In a press release, Dave & Buster's admits in a roundabout way that it's not the most ideal place to put a ring on your partner's finger. However, the chain is hoping to change that this year. "Valentine's Day is one of the most popular proposal days of the year, and on February 14, Dave & Buster's is inviting couples to take part in a proposal that feels bold, memorable, and entirely unexpected," the release read. That "bold" and "unexpected" way for customers to propose would be in the restaurant's Human Crane game. If you're unfamiliar with this viral sensation, think of it as a life-sized version of the classic claw machine. But in the game, you are the claw. Trying it starts at $20 per person, along with some of your dignity. You are strapped into a harness and lifted above a pit full of oversized prizes. Once you're in your preferred spot, you're lowered in, allowing you to grab whatever you can get your hands on. What are the chances of getting a ring? There are five rings located nationwide. The math says you have a 3% chance of attending a Dave & Buster's that has one of the rings. But if you happen to snag one, you'll make quite the return on your investment. You should probably put the money you save toward the wedding ceremony of your partner's dreams. "Dave & Buster's has always been about bringing people together for unforgettably fun moments, and date nights are no exception," said Melissa Powers, Vice President of Marketing at Dave & Buster's. "This Valentine's Day, we're elevating that experience even further by giving couples a chance to turn date night into a proposal they'll never forget." In the lead-up to Valentine's Day, you can also take advantage of the restaurant's $99 Date Night Duo Deal running Monday through Friday through Feb. 14. It includes two 90-minute All-You-Can-Play game cards, two entrees, an appetizer, and dessert.