Dave and Buster’s grand opening in Spokane Valley draws hundreds of adults looking for fun
Among the hundreds who flocked to the neon lights and symphony of video game soundtracks of Dave and Buster’s in Spokane Valley on Monday were a couple of regulars.
Matt and Miranda Rice traveled from their home in Kansas City, Missouri, to the grand opening of the arcade-restaurant, the 123rd Dave and Buster’s the couple has visited together. The franchise has over 190 locations.
“We love this, and we love traveling,” Matt Rice said. “It’s an excuse to go and meet new people and see new places.”
The couple’s presence in Spokane Valley is a good sign for city officials, who celebrated the opening as a boost for prosperity.
Spokane Valley council members Laura Padden, Ben Wick and Jessica Yaeger were among the officials who attended the ribbon cutting on Monday morning. Some council members also attended the store’s VIP night on Friday.
“We never believed we’d get a Dave and Buster’s. This is amazing,” Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg said before the ribbon cutting on Monday. “The City of Spokane Valley has been known as a friendly business city. We welcome you here. We’re happy to have you.”
The city’s Dave and Buster’s, 13921 E. Mansfield Ave., opened at 10 a.m. Monday with a line of over 100 people waiting at the front door. This is the fourth Dave and Buster’s location in Washington. The closest to Spokane Valley is over 200 miles away in Bellevue.
“It’s about having everything under one roof,” General Manager Dasha Orlova said. “We’re not just a restaurant, not just a bar, not just an arcade – we’re a little bit of everything for all age groups in one building. Everybody loves efficiency, right?”
Dave and Buster’s will employ over 160 hourly employees and is estimated to have anywhere from 60 to 80 people working each night.
The Rices’ obsession started turning into travels when Kansas outlawed coin pusher games in 2011, calling the game “gambling.”
The super fans really began knocking out locations two years ago, when they visited Seattle – their 32nd location.
The couple racks up points and earn prizes at Dave and Buster’s locations all over the U.S. – and two locations in Canada. They usually cash in their points for plushies and donate the stuffed animals to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I don’t need any prizes, so we like to share,” Matt Rice said. “We get to have fun, and the kids keep the prizes.”
This fall, the pair have plans to travel to locations in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island. After that, the Rices will have been to 46 states together.
More couples were waiting by the franchise’s front door. Josiah and Julie Getierrez live in Spokane Valley and have anticipated the store’s opening day.
Like the Rices, Josiah and Julie Getierrez enjoy coin pusher games. Although they don’t travel specifically for Dave and Buster’s, aside from one trip they made to Boise recently, the Getierrez’s have been to five other stores around the U.S.
“I’ve always been a fan of arcades,” Julie Getierrez said. “And this is nice because it’s for adults. It’s not just a bunch of kid games.”