Business Partner Highlight – Dave & Buster’s

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Since opening the doors at the Dave & Buster’s Daytona Beach location in March of 2019, employU has proudly partnered with the innovative food and entertainment venue to create an educational, fun, and enjoyable work environment for adults seeking to build and improve their employment skills. Dave & Buster’s is a full-service restaurant and arcade offering food and fun for guests of all ages. And yes, Dave and Buster are real people! 

According to company history, back in the late 1970s, Buster opened a restaurant known for its tasty food and friendly service. A few doors down, Dave opened an outrageous place for entertainment and games that adults were irresistibly drawn to. The two young entrepreneurs noticed people rotating between their establishments, and an idea started to form: WHAT IF THEY PUT BOTH UNDER ONE ROOF? 

 In 1982, that idea took physical form, with Dave’s name first because he won a coin toss, and they opened the first Dave & Buster’s in Dallas, TX. 110 locations later, each store has more state-of-the-art games than ever, more mouth-watering menu items, and the most innovative drinks anywhere. The establishment also boasts massive HDTVs with epic stadium sound for visual entertainment and sports events.   

On a visit to the Daytona Beach location, you’ll run into a General Manager with the most fitting name, Dave Joy. He brings passion, drive, and well, joy, to staff and guest experiences. In addition to the years of experience and knowledge he brings to his role, he also brings an element of surprise. You can’t be too sure of where exactly you’ll run into Dave. You may find him in the kitchen cooking or washing dishes, in the dining room serving guests and clearing tables, in the back office working on financial duties, or on the floor tending to the games and consumers. Dave is very hands on with his staff, no matter their role. He is there to teach, guide, and lead by example. His managing team is no exception. He offers them every bit of leadership and hands-on guidance as their General Manager.  

With employU, Dave & Buster’s offers the clients we serve an opportunity to increase their employability through training and building skills such as time management, stamina, customer service, and food service. The partnership allows individuals seeking competitive employment a chance to join a work family and build a stable employment history. This, in turn, can help one plan for the future and gain financial independence.  With all of the clients employU serves, Dave & Buster’s is committed to providing accommodations as needed. Whether it is scheduling needs or physical accommodations such as breaks or duty modifications, the management team is open to listen and assist. 

When asked about partnering with employU, Mr. Joy will tell you “Well, we like helping people and giving opportunities to those who may not have opportunities elsewhere.” Since beginning the business partnership, the location has hired six employU clients, with four noting that the opportunity is their first working experience ever. At the initial hiring event, one client, who after almost a year of searching with no success, could not contain their excitement and gratitude after being offered a dream position and the opportunity to finally show the value they can bring to the role. Banging mallet to gong to signify the acceptance of the job offer and symbolize the start of a new fun and exciting journey, the client embarked on a path like no other. All because Mr. Joy and his team kept an open-mind and welcomed job coaching services to their employment opportunities.  

The partnership does not end with direct-hire employment. Mr. Joy has also opened the facility to provide on-the-job training to youth and adults meeting the minimum age requirement of 18 years old. They also offer discovery opportunities. This means employU Discovery Specialists can bring in clients to try out different roles and skills to learn more about themselves and the workforce before pursuing employment or trainings. Opportunities are vast and include the chance to build skills in the areas of: bartender, server, cook, food preparation worker, dishwasher, busser, games attendant/repair, games cleaner, fun zone prize redeemer, front desk/customer service, and janitorial services. employU truly values the Dave & Buster’s partnership and is proud to work with a company that creates an exciting, balanced work-to-fun ratio and gives opportunities to those seeking to gain meaningful and impactful experiences through employment.