Mayor: Dave & Buster's coming to Gloucester Township

Jim Walsh | The Courier-Post

Show Caption Hide Caption Dave & Buster's is opening its first location in South Jersey Dave & Buster's is opening a new venue in Gloucester Township

GLOUCESTER TWP. - Dave & Buster's, the Texas-based chain that puts an amusement park inside a restaurant, is planning to build here, the town's mayor confirmed Monday.

"We're very, very excited," Mayor David Mayer said of the eatery expected to rise at Gloucester Premium Outlets off Route 42.

"It's highly visible, easy to get to," he said of the site, which would be the first in South Jersey for Dave & Buster's.

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"This is terrific for our community, really for the entire region," said Mayer.

"This will bring thousands of people into our town to spend their money here and grow our economy," he said.

Representatives of Dave & Buster's and the outlet center did not respond to requests for comment.

But Mayer noted Dave & Buster's officials had appeared at a recent township council meeting that helped clear the way for the planned restaurant.

The council last week amended a redevelopment plan to allow an indoor amusement park at the 90-store outlet center. The change allows an amusement park to operate as an accessory use as long as it covers at least 30,000 square feet and has 125 or more "amusement devices."

The council previously updated an ordinance that regulates the use of amusement games, Mayer said.

He said Dave & Buster's is expected to propose a 40,000-square-foot facility to the township's planning board within the next two months.

"According to them, they want to be open by the first quarter of 2020," the mayor said.

He noted the restaurant chain has yet to acquire a liquor license for the site, but several are for sale in the township.

Dave & Buster's has 115 “entertainment and dining venues” in its North American market, including two outlets in Philadelphia and one in suburban Plymouth Meeting.

The publicly held chain has announced plans to add 14 to 15 outlets in the current fiscal year.

The Dallas-based company opened its second New Jersey outlet in Wayne, Passaic County. The other is in Woodbridge, Middlesex County.

Gloucester Premium Outlets, a 415,000-square-foot complex, opened in August 2015. Its tenants include Nike, Armani, Michael Kors and J. Crew Factory.

"This is just another national company that is choosing Gloucester Township to invest in," Mayer said of Dave & Buster's. "Just like the outlets, this type of business will be a draw."

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