Peer inside any of the 46 Dave & Buster’s locations, and from all viewpoints you’ll see dozens of happy customers. In one direction you might spot co-workers thrilling to high-tech video and action games in the Million Dollar Midway. At the other end of the huge complex, you could find families and couples enjoying chicken, steak and regional specialties in the main dining area. And it doesn’t take long to spy young professionals cheering their favorite sports teams in the Viewpoint Bar or sipping a Long Island Iced Tea or other signature drink in the Midway Bar.

For more than 20 years, Dave & Buster’s has been a great place for food and drinks and fun and games. In 1982, co-founders Dave Corriveau and Buster Corley pioneered the concept of an upscale restaurant/entertainment venue by merging their respective areas of expertise.

Dave & Buster’s makes it look easy: a variety of satisfied customers enjoying the full range of food, fun and games offered in the 30,000- to 70,000-square-foot establishments. The reality is that maximizing the potential for each location’s success requires insight and strategy. Part of that strategy is to leverage Buxton’s expertise when evaluating potential sites.

Understanding Customers
Bryan Spain, Senior Vice President of Real Estate at Dave & Buster’s, is responsible for scouting and securing sites for new locations. It’s a complex job that requires rock-solid understanding of the chain’s customer base as well as considerable information about each particular market. At the most basic level, Spain likes to locate Dave & Buster’s stores near its best clientele in an area where certain types of retailers and attractions can be found. “We like to be near hotels, theaters, music stores and other entertainment-type retailers. We find they are complementary to our concept,” Spain says.

Since 2001, Dave & Buster’s has used Buxton as part of a due diligence process to determine the chain’s customer base and identify potential markets. Buxton’s psychographic profiling of Dave & Buster’s clientele has proved enlightening. “We appeal to a larger segment than I initially thought,” Spain says. “We have determined that we attract a much broader spectrum and socio-economic background than we originally realized.”

According to Tom Buxton, president and founder of Buxton, Spain’s experience is not unusual. “Most clients focus on their most visible customers. But the wise ones, like Dave & Buster’s, realize they need to fully understand all of their core customers to ensure their product or location will maximize its potential for success.”

Finding New Sites
Opening a Dave & Buster’s takes a huge capital investment and involves a year-long process. Finding the right location is crucial. Dave & Buster’s management generally prefers opening stores in malls or strip centers. Because the restaurant-bar-entertainment center’s busiest hours are late in the evening and Sunday afternoons when shopping traffic is generally light, Dave & Buster’s customers can readily find parking spots. But the chain also builds free-standing facilities.

Before construction begins on a new Dave & Buster’s, an extensive site-selection process must be completed. As part of that process, Buxton provides psychographic profiles of the households in the trade area surrounding the new site. “With the right information about customers, Dave & Buster’s has achieved greater success in finding strong locations,” Spain says.

In one instance, the chain was considering a site near Overland Park, Kan. Data from Buxton, however, showed that the location would not have enough of the right customers nearby. Instead, based upon demographic data coupled with an excellent economic deal, the company selected a spot at the Legends at Village West, a 750,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment district near the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

The Legends location of Dave & Buster’s opened in November of 2005, and it shares the opening tenacity with a 14-screen multiplex movie theater. “It opened strong and continues to be a tremendous draw in the Kansas City market,” Spain says. Once the site is fully developed, it should be a dynamic draw and must-see location with such additional attractions as T-Rex (a new family adventure-theme restaurant from the creator of the Rainforest Café), Yard House and Ted's Montana Grill. The Legends at Village West is expected to bring in more than 4 million visitors annually.

Continuing the Tradition
After almost 25 years in business, Dave & Buster’s continues to find good opportunities in new locations. In September 2005, Spain traveled to New York City to negotiate a location in Times Square, and this site is currently under construction. This Dave & Buster’s, the first in New York City, is scheduled to open in April 2006. Located in a prime spot at 42nd Street and 7th Ave, adjacent to Madame Tussaud’s, the store will continue the tradition of bringing Dave & Buster’s special, sophisticated brand of food and fun to its satisfied customers.