Three years in the making, Modesto’s Dave & Buster’s sets opening date, starts hiring
Three years after the announcement that it would be coming to Modesto, Dave & Buster’s has finally set an opening date.
The national chain will open its first combination restaurant, entertainment center and arcade location in the Northern San Joaquin Valley at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall over Memorial Day weekend. The long-delayed project was revealed in April 2019 but then paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The site, formerly the second story of the Sears anchor spot, had sat vacant and quiet until work began again late last year.
In preparation for its May 30 opening, Dave & Buster’s is hiring to fill some 170 positions. Jobs include serving staff, managers, bartenders, hosts, line cooks, game technicians and more. A spokesperson for Dave & Buster’s said pay for the various roles starts at minimum wage, which in California is $15.
Applications are being accepted now and job seekers should apply online through the Dave & Buster’s career site at daveandbusters.com/careers.
Work on the 34,688-square-foot business has been steady since March when big machines could be seen accessing the second-story space from the attached parking garage. The new Dave & Buster’s will feature arcade games, a full-service restaurant, full bar with cocktails and a 40-foot wall of high-definition TV screens.
“We’re ecstatic to bring a new restaurant and entertainment destination to the Modesto community,” said Beto Chavarria, general manager of Dave & Buster’s Modesto in a written announcement about the opening. “We are dedicated to cultivating a fun experience for our guests and looking for individuals to join our team who share that passion.”
Work first began in early 2020 to renovate the 150,000-square-foot old Sears building on the east end of the Modesto mall. The formerly venerable department store brand closed its Modesto location in January 2019 after being a mall staple since Vintage Faire’s opening in 1977.
So mall and city officials were thrilled when a few months later plans were revealed to fill the former department store’s two-story space, with Dick’s Sporting Goods moving into the lower level and Dave & Buster’s into the upper level.
Dick’s continued work on its space and moved from its smaller standalone building just off the corner of Dale Road and Standiford Avenue to the mall site in October 2020. Earlier this year, it was announced the national home furnishings brand Bob’s Discount Furniture will move into the former Dick’s space.
But work on all new Dave & Buster’s projects, including the Modesto site, was halted in March 2020 by the coronavirus outbreak. Initially, all 137 of the company’s then existing locations across the United States and Puerto Rico were also closed and the company furloughed more than 15,000 hourly store employees.
All of the company’s sites have since reopened, and the new Modesto site will be the brand’s 18th in California. The current closest locations are in Fairfield, Milpitas and Fresno.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
