Sports Bar on Steroids
Adult playground Dave & Buster's grows up and tries on a more sports-drivenpersonality
- The new Dave & Buster's at Walnut Hill Lane and Central Expressway has a moreopen layout than its predecessor.Photo by Jenna Rome
- Bistro steak and shrimp pasta with lobster Alfredo is one of seven new items onthe D&B menu.Photo by Jenna Rome
- Dave & Buster's has placed greater emphasis on sports viewing with plenty offlat screens throughout and a full oval bar.Photo by Jenna Rome
Dallas-based Dave & Buster’s is opening a brand-new location on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of Central Expressway. If those directions seem familiar, it’s because the new D&B is right across the street from the one that went up in 1988. The new 40,000-square-foot restaurant/arcade/sports bar is located behind Spec’s, in the old Glen Lakes AMC theater.
This D&B is part of a new breed of the brand that focuses on a more open and adult-driven experience. Instead of a separation between the arcade and the restaurant/bar, this new design has an open floor plan, meaning you can drift effortlessly between games and beers.
Dave & Buster’s rep Nick Kopach says this new model appeals as much to avid sports fans as it does to those looking for dinner and some billiards or arcade games.
D&B rep Nick Kopach says this new model appeals as much to avid sports fans as it does to those looking for dinner and some billiards or arcade games. There are flat screens throughout the bar and a dedicated watching section, as well as three pool tables.
Dave & Buster’s has several meeting rooms for companies looking to host luncheons or dinners. The board room seats 36, plus there are function rooms outfitted with podiums and projector screens. If a larger group is looking to host an event, the three rooms can be opened up into one hall to fit more than 170 people.
Construction took less than three months, according to Kopach, and the space is filled with 160 games — all new. Perhaps the most interesting is the four-player air hockey that pits competitors, each armed with his own puck, in a chaotic battle for supremacy.
Kopach says this D&B is the fourth with the new layout and design. Future renovations to existing D&B’s and new locations will have this new, open flow and more sports and nightlife-driven style. Kopach expects the former location across the street to be razed once the lease expires this summer. The games inside will most likely be shipped to Boise.
D&B is hosting two grand opening parties on Friday, November 30, 5-8:30 pm, and Saturday, December 1, 7-11 pm. D&B opens to the public on Sunday, December 2.