Back in 1982, David "Dave" Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley opened their first Dave & Buster's location in Dallas. They wanted to create a cool, interactive dining environment with an extensive selections of beers, signature cocktails and wines, quality food, and, of course, many video games.All in all, the format has worked. In fact, in March 2006, private equity funds Wellspring and HBK purchased Dave & Busters. And now the company has filed to go public.
Currently, Dave & Busters has 49 units in 20 states and Canada. For the year ended March 2008, revenues came to $543.3 million and EBITDA was $81.4 million. The company has generated comparable store sales growth for 12 consecutive quarters.
Over the past few years, Dave & Busters has implemented some key initiatives. For example, the company has launched several bundled food and entertainment offerings. Such things have helped to drive traffic – and maintain pricing power.
Interestingly enough, Dave & Buster's thinks its market is still wide open. They estimate that there is actually room for 150 additional units in the US and Canada.
The lead underwriters on the IPO include JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) and Jefferies & Company. You can read the prospectus at the SEC website.
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
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