N K Y EN TE RTA IN MEN T
More than the Games Dave and Buster’s is connecting with the community by hosting local events, like Breakfast with Santa, and by being the ideal place to watch televised events such as football games.
Dave & Buster’s in Florence heads into its third year with a local mindset BY KE VIN MICHELL
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ven with over 100 locations across the country, a new Dave & Buster’s opening brings excitement. When the Florence location opened its doors to the public in June 2016, it also filled a void for food and entertainment in one place that the area had lacked for nearly a decade. The 31,000-square-foot facility is sort of a milestone location, as it is the first Dave & Buster’s opened in Kentucky (another in Louisville just opened in February). “I think a lot of people in the beginning were just really excited for something new to do in town,” says Vanessa LaFoy, senior corporate sales manager for the Florence location. Understanding that the novelty of a new facility eventually wears off, the young Dave & Buster’s has begun to focus on special events for the community of Florence. The location’s proximity to downtown
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and various other neighborhoods on both sides of the river—which are closer to the Florence location than they are to the other Greater Cincinnati location in Springdale— promises a wide reach for potential customers. But General Manager Jason Bradshaw is looking to prioritize building a loyal, local base of repeat customers starting with the roughly 30,000 permanent residents of Florence. For example, the venue put on an Easter morning buffet on Saturday, April 13, complete with an appearance from the Easter Bunny, following up on its popular Breakfast with Santa in December 2018. Meanwhile, Bradshaw and the company are working to develop partnerships with area organizations—such as the Florence Freedom baseball team—that could help make unique, fun and family-friendly events happen regularly. “My biggest goal is to get out there and develop some of these ideas,” Bradshaw says. “The more that we can be a part of things in the community, the better.” The Florence Dave & Buster’s is already involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation through the franchise’s national partnership with the children’s charity. April brought
about one of what Bradshaw hopes to be quarterly events to raise donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. During these events, guests can donate any amount of money over a dollar and receive a free gameplay card in return or they can support the foundation by purchasing one of the specially marked food menu items, the proceeds from which benefit Make-A-Wish efforts. Bradshaw also hopes to bring in local children who are beneficiaries of the foundation for a day of fun and games. Of course, Dave & Buster’s has also positioned itself as a premier venue to catch sporting events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the 2019 Bellator mixed martial arts series. Those who aren’t into sports, though, can enjoy hours in the arcade midway while others huddle around the many TVs. “I know there are a lot of choices for people to go to,” LaFoy notes about national sporting events, “but maybe the wife or the kids don’t want to watch. [They] can go play.” Though a recognizable chain with a wellestablished layout and atmosphere, there is room for unique local flourishes to be implemented at individual Dave and Buster’s entertainment venues, which is what Bradshaw, LaFoy and the Florence location aim to build on in their third year. From unique events to the creative flair of Kitchen Manager Ernie Estrada’s food program, the back-to-back winner of best Northern Kentucky children’s birthday party venue in the Best of NKY has plenty to offer the citizens of Florence and beyond—and the staff is excited to show that off. “The main thing is to really get them in to show them what we can do,” says LaFoy. Q