Dave and Buster's plans to open first Alabama location at Riverchase Galleria

Dave and Buster’s, a Dallas-based restaurant and arcade chain, plans to open its first Alabama location at the Riverchase Galleria in 2018, a representative for the company told the Hoover City Council tonight.

The plan, if approved by the city, is to open a 33,000-square-foot restaurant and sports bar with 150 to 250 arcade games in the Galleria, said Jill Valachovic, a senior paralegal for the company.

A city zoning official said the plan is to put the business in the location currently occupied by Forever 21, but Valachovic declined to discuss the specific location in the mall the company is pursuing.

The business should employ 140 to 160 people, and the goal is to open in the second or third quarter of 2018, Valachovic said. “It takes a long time to build out once they deliver the space,” she said. “We’re really excited about coming to Alabama.”

Dave and Buster’s opened its first location in Dallas in 1982, and now the publicly traded company has more than 15,000 employees at 90 locations in about 36 states, Valachovic said.

The business has a wide selection of video and arcade games and some unusual variations on popular games, including a giant Connect 4 game, she said. Some Dave and Buster’s locations have bowling and billiards, but this one will not, she said.

Proposed hours are 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, she said. Dave and Buster’s this past year started opening at 10 a.m. during the summer and winter breaks from school and likely will continue that, she said.

Hoover Councilman John Lyda said he has frequently heard Hoover residents say they wanted to see a Dave and Buster’s open in the city.

“The fact you’re going to consider Hoover as your first Alabama location is a tremendous compliment,” he said. “It’s an honor to have you interested in our city.”

The business needs permission from the city of Hoover because it wants to offer entertainment activities in a commercial zone.

Homer Brown, general manager of the Bumper Nets business in the Galleria, said he’s concerned about the idea of combining an arcade with alcohol sales. He has always tried to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere with his three businesses at the mall, which include an adult arcade, kids arcade and table games store (table tennis, foosball, billiards, etc.), he said.

Valachovic said any employee touching alcohol at Dave and Buster’s would have to be certified as a server. Also, anyone under the age of 18 would have to be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult age 25 or older, she said. One adult can supervise no more than six minors unless in a situation where the business is rented out for a special event, she said.

Dave and Buster’s also likes to offer lock-in events for all-night parties, but alcohol is put away for such events involving minors, she said.