Dave & Buster's ready to entertain Queen Creek

May 15—Moving to Queen Creek is a sort of homecoming for Steve King, the incoming general manager of the new Dallas-based Dave & Buster's entertainment venue that will open tomorrow, May 15, in town.

King started with the chain six years ago working in the Scottsdale and Tempe locations and is looking forward to being back after working for Dave & Buster's in Omaha, Nebraska.

"I don't have to worry about snow and jackets so I can probably get rid of a lot of my winter gear," he joked.

He isn't joking when he says "I'm excited to get back to the Phoenix market" — especially at the new 19,000-square-foot venue in Queen Creek Marketplace at 21000 S. Ellsworth Loop Road.

With arcade games, food, drinks and a 40-foot-high-definition TV, Dave & Busters is celebrating its new location by offering the first 100 people at the opening celebration on Friday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. will receive unlimited free play for Friday.

The venue has been hiring 175 people for just about every type of job in the new location, King said.

"Front and back-of-house positions are available, including servers, bartenders, hosts, line cooks, game techs, and more," King said.

Dave & Buster's offers high-performing employees a chance to advance in the company quickly, King said. Over 30% of the company's current management team was promoted from within.

The Queen Creek location is the fourth Dave & Buster's in the Valley and King said opening it is in line with the growth the town is seeing.

Company executives agree.

"Queen Creek has experienced substantial growth over the past few years which makes it a perfect candidate for a new Dave & Buster's," said Kelly Valdez, local store marketing manager at Dave & Buster's.

"New, young residents who have moved to Queen Creek want an entertainment and restaurant destination that is right in their backyard without having to travel to a nearby city," Valdez said.

"Residents would previously have to travel over 20 miles to visit one of our Greater Phoenix-area locations. Queen Creek is growing at an impressive rate and this larger community is in need of more entertainment options than what is currently available in Queen Creek."

Valdez said the company made the decision as well on the performance potential and the track record of their existing Valley locations.

"We decided to build a location in Queen Creek after seeing the success of our other three Greater Phoenix area locations and how much Queen Creek is growing," Valdez added.

Added King: "I only see it expanding further East and growing our opportunities there."

Dave & Busters will be competing head-to-head with the other big entertainment venue in town, Fat Cats, which offers eight movie screens, 20 bowling lanes, arcade games, glow in the dark mini golf, a bar and restaurant.

Valdez said the Dave & Buster's marketing team did extensive research on nearby businesses in town before deciding on opening a new location in Queen Creek.

She said the chain's focus sets it apart from other entertainment venues like Fat Cat's and the newly announced Pecan Lake Entertainment Center, a locally owned agritainment themed venue that will feature mostly outdoor attractions and high-end food choices.

"Dave & Buster's differentiates itself from other entertainment venues in the area by catering to sports watchers," Valdez said. "With major league football, baseball, and basketball and college sports all within the greater Phoenix area, sports fans need a game watching destination."

In her State of the Town address earlier this year, Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley singled out the opening of Dave & Buster's as a highlight for the town's growing business community.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Coppell, Texas, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc., has 200 venues in North America through two brands: Dave & Buster's and Main Event. The latter has East Valley locations, though not currently in Queen Creek.

Dave & Buster's has 152 venues in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada and offers guests the opportunity to "Eat, Drink, Play and Watch," all in one location.

Each offers a full menu of entrées and appetizers, a complete selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and an extensive assortment of entertainment attractions centered around games and watching live sports and other televised events.

Main Event operates 52 centers in 17 states across the country and offers state-of-the-art bowling, laser tag, hundreds of arcade games, and virtual reality.