The Real Story of Who Opened Dave and Busters And the 1982 Dallas Warehouse That Started It All

If you've ever wondered who opened Dave and Busters, the answer has nothing to do with celebrity names or viral myths it comes down to two real entrepreneurs.

David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley are the genuine founders of Dave and Busters, and they built the first location together inside a Dallas, Texas warehouse in December 1982.

Not a comedian. Not a rapper. Two businessmen who happened to be next-door neighbours with a shared vision that neither one could pull off alone.

Quick Facts: Dave and Busters at a Glance

Fact	Detail
Founders	David "Dave" Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley
First Location	Dallas, Texas — "Restaurant Row"
Opening Date	December 1982
Original Space	A 40,000 sq-ft warehouse
Why "Dave" Comes First	A coin toss. Dave won.
Locations Today	170+

Meet the Men Behind the Name: Who Opened Dave and Busters

The Dave and Busters origin story gets muddled online, partly because the names sound invented.

They aren't. Both are shortened versions of real first names, and each man had already built his own business long before their paths converged.

David "Dave" Corriveau — The Entertainment Side

Dave was the arcade and games brain of the operation. Years before Dave and Busters existed as a concept, he was already running adult entertainment venues with a clear point of view.

Back in 1975, he launched a spot called Cash McCool's described at the time as a saloon and game parlour. He later followed that up with Slick Willy's World of Entertainment, which leaned into billiards, video games, and the kind of grown-up, after-hours arcade atmosphere that would later become the defining character of Dave and Busters.

Most operators in the food-and-games space start on one side and slowly expand. Dave was already straddling that line years before the partnership happened.

James "Buster" Corley — The Food and Hospitality Side

Buster was the restaurant and bar half of the equation. In 1978, he opened a venue simply called Buster's a bar and restaurant that drew a steady mix of office workers, local politicians, and after-work regulars who wanted a comfortable place to eat and unwind.

Here's the detail most people overlook: Buster's sat directly next door to Dave's venue. They weren't competitors. They were literally neighbours sharing the same block.

As reported by Business Insider, the original Buster's developed an early reputation as a haunt for politicians and local power brokers a colourful backstory that helped shape the founders' instinct for blending nightlife with entertainment in a way that didn't feel forced.

How Dave and Buster Actually Crossed Paths

The Dave and Busters origin story begins not in Dallas, but in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1978  simply because their two separate businesses happened to occupy adjacent spaces on the same street.

What they both observed, gradually and then unmistakably, was the same customer loop playing out night after night: guests would eat at Buster's, drift over to Dave's to play a few games, wander back for another round of drinks, and repeat the cycle.

A shared customer base, flowing naturally between two businesses.Most operators notice this kind of overlap and do nothing about it.

Some treat it as informal cross-promotion. Dave and Buster's response was the uncommon one stop splitting the experience across two buildings and put it all under one roof.

The First Dave and Busters Opens in Dallas, Texas (December 1982)

When the time came to execute the concept at full scale, they chose Dallas, Texas specifically an area known locally as Restaurant Row.

The space they took on was a vacant 40,000-square-foot warehouse, which, for any first-time concept launch, is an audacious starting point.

Most operators launching an untested idea begin small. Dave and Buster went the other direction entirely. A full-service restaurant, a proper bar, and an adult arcade, all running simultaneously inside a building the size of a small aircraft hangar.

According to the company's own retelling of its history, plenty of people in the industry considered the whole thing reckless. The combination hadn't been executed at that scale before.

They opened in December 1982 anyway. Dave ran the games floor. Buster ran the kitchen and the bar. It worked.

The decision to keep the concept tightly controlled in the early years rather than rushing toward outside investors shaped how the brand grew through its first decade and beyond.

The Coin Toss That Put Dave's Name First

One small detail that comes up often: why does Dave's name lead? Why not "Buster & Dave's"?

The answer is a coin toss.

Dave won the flip, and his name went on the sign first. No deeper significance, no business strategy just a 50/50 call that landed in Dave's favour.

From One Dallas Warehouse to a National Brand

The first location succeeded. Then the second. Then the chain kept expanding through the 1980s and 1990s, spreading across the United States.

According to Wikipedia's record of the company, the brand now operates more than 158 locations across the United States, with additional venues in Puerto Rico and Canada.

The format has evolved bigger screens, updated games libraries, refreshed menus but the foundational idea hasn't changed since two neighbours in Little Rock first noticed their customers were already doing exactly what a combined venue would offer.

Scaling from a single Dallas warehouse to a national chain also meant navigating the financial complexity that any fast-growing hospitality brand eventually has to face the kind of operational and capital decisions that quietly determine whether a concept survives past its first decade.

The Full Dave and Busters Timeline

Year	Milestone
1975	Dave Corriveau opens Cash McCool's in Little Rock, AR
1978	Buster Corley opens Buster's right next door
1978	Dave and Buster meet as neighbouring business owners
1982	First Dave & Buster's opens in a Dallas warehouse
Today	158+ locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada

Setting the Record Straight: Dave Chappelle and Busta Rhymes Did Not Found This Chain

This particular myth has earned its own section because it refuses to go away.A viral TikTok claim circulated widely a few years back insisted that Dave and Busters was co-founded by comedian Dave Chappelle and rapper Busta Rhymes. It is a clever piece of wordplay. It is also entirely false.

In December 1982, when the first Dave and Busters opened its doors in Dallas, Dave Chappelle was nine years old. Busta Rhymes  born Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr. was ten.

Neither was opening a 40,000-square-foot entertainment venue before finishing elementary school.The founders are, and have always been, David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley.

Conclusion

Who opened Dave and Busters? David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley two neighbours in Little Rock, Arkansas, who spent years watching their customers float between their respective businesses before deciding to merge the concept entirely.

The first location launched in Dallas in December 1982. The coin toss was real. The names are real. And the brand still reflects the straightforward idea those two men tested first in a Texas warehouse over four decades ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the real founders of Dave and Busters?

David Corriveau (Dave) and James "Buster" Corley. Dave managed entertainment and games venues; Buster ran a bar and restaurant. They were next-door neighbours in Little Rock, Arkansas, before joining forces in Dallas.

When did the first Dave and Busters open?

December 1982, in Dallas, Texas, inside a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on an area locals called Restaurant Row.

Why does Dave's name come before Buster's?

A coin toss determined the order. Dave won the flip, so his name appeared first on the sign. There is no strategic reasoning behind it.

Did Dave Chappelle and Busta Rhymes open Dave and Busters?

No. That story spread through social media but has no basis in fact. The founders are David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley, who opened the first location in 1982.

Where did Dave and Buster originally meet?

In Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1978. Their separate businesses Dave's entertainment venue and Buster's restaurant occupied adjacent spaces on the same block.