Main Event Entertainment

American family entertainment center chain

Main Event Entertainment

Company type| Subsidiary
Industry| Family entertainment centers
Founded| 1998; 27 years ago (1998)
Founders| Neil Hupfauer
David Smith
Headquarters|

Coppell, Texas, United States

Number of locations

| 58

Area served

| United States

Key people

* Chris Morris (CEO)
* Darin Harper (CFO)
* Rob Viveros (COO)

Owner|

* RedBird Capital Partners
(24.2%; 2020–2022)

Parent|

* Ardent Leisure
(100%; 2006-2020, 75.8%; 2020-2022)
* Dave & Buster's (2022–present)

Website| mainevent.com

Main Event Entertainment is an American chain of family entertainment centers. The company was formerly headquartered in Coppell, Texas, before being sold to their former competitor Dave & Buster’s in 2022. Main Event currently operates 58 locations in 20 states, predominantly in Texas and the Southern United States, and features attractions and features such as bowling alleys, arcades, laser tag, virtual reality games, gravity rope courses, miniature golf, billiards, escape rooms, karaoke and a restaurant under the name of Family Kitchen at all of their locations.

Main Event was founded in 1998 by Neil Hupfauer and David Smith. The company became a subsidiary of Ardent Leisure in 2006 before its acquisition by competitor Dave & Buster’s in June 2022. Main Event now operates as a family entertainment brand and separately owned unit of the more adult-oriented Dave & Buster's chain.

## History

[edit]

Main Event was founded in 1998 by Neil Hupfauer and David Smith.[1] Ardent Leisure, an Australian company acquired it from the founders in 2006.[2]

In 2018, Chris Morris replaced Charlie Keegan as president and CEO of the company.[1]

In June 2020, Ardent Leisure sold a 24.2% stake in the company to RedBird Capital Partners.[3]

In early 2022, Main Event completed its acquisition of Summit Entertainment Centers, a Colorado-based arcade, bowling and entertainment center chain with three locations that were located in Windsor, Thornton, and Colorado Springs. The former Summit locations almost immediately started remodeling and transitioning to Main Event branding, arcade game cards, and signage after the completion of the sale to the latter company, and the Summit brand ceased to exist.[4]

On April 6, 2022, Dave & Buster's announced its intent to acquire Main Event for $835 million, with Main Event's CEO Chris Morris becoming the chief executive of the combined company. Outgoing interim CEO Kevin Sheehan considered Main Event to be complementary to the main Dave & Buster's chain, citing that the two chains were positioned towards different demographics (families and young adults respectively), and that Main Event had a focus on larger-scale activities and attractions. The acquisition was completed in June 2022; Sheehan, who became chairman at that time, stated that larger Dave & Buster's locations could be converted to Main Event to take better advantage of their floorspace, and be supplanted by D&B locations with a smaller footprint in the same market.[5][6][7]

## Operations

[edit]

Main Event Entertainment operates family entertainment centers which feature billiards, bowling, arcade games, virtual reality games, laser tag, miniature golf, gravity ropes course, and karaoke. Main Event offers facilities and services for birthday parties. The company also provides food and beverage, as well as meeting and event space with accommodations for corporate meetings or group gatherings; and event facility rental services.[8][9][10][11]

Each Main Event location offers full restaurant services under the name Family Kitchen, with items like appetizers, pizza, hamburgers, salads, and unique desserts. Each location also has a full-service bar, serving beer, wine, mixed drinks, and a bar menu.[12]

Despite having a generally more family-oriented target demographic, Main Event has adopted the same policies as Dave & Buster’s, where individuals under the age of 18 or 21 (varies by location) may only enter the premises with a guardian who is at least 25 years of age, the latter of whom is strictly required to only bring a maximum of six (6) underage patrons in the same party. Certain locations, regardless of whether they are branded as a D&B or Main Event, have a strict curfew policy which requires patrons under the age of 21 to vacate the premises by 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings.[13][14]

## See also

[edit]

* Chuck E. Cheese

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Kezar, Korri (28 February 2018). "Main Event names restaurant veteran to CEO role". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
2. ^ "(PRN) Main Event Entertainment Holdings Inc. Acquired By Macquarie Leisure Trust Group of Australia". Chron. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
3. ^ Schlesinger, Larry (2022-04-06). "Ardent Leisure sells US entertainment business for $1.1b". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
4. ^ Rob, Big (2023-05-03). "The Summit Will Soon Be No More. What's Next For This Colorado Favorite?". 99.9 The Point. Archived from the original on 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
5. ^ Lalley, Heather. "Dave & Buster's might convert some units to Main Event". Restaurant Business. Archived from the original on 2022-07-12. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
6. ^ Lalley, Heather. "Dave & Buster's completes its Main Event acquisition". Restaurant Business. Archived from the original on 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
7. ^ "Dave & Buster's to buy Main Event for $835M". Restaurant Dive. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
8. ^ "Main Event Entertainment Competitors, Revenue and Employees - Owler Company Profile". Owler. Archived from the original on 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
9. ^ "Guests Can Head For Fun At Main Event Entertainment's Second Chicago-Area Location". www.prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
10. ^ "Main Event opens in north Fort Worth". Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
11. ^ Haller, Sonja. "Main Event Entertainment brings fun for all ages to Avondale". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
12. ^ "Main Event Entertainment Enhances Its Distinctive "Eat. Bowl. Play." Experience With New Spring Menu | RestaurantNews.com". RestaurantNews.com. 2018-04-13. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
13. ^ "House Policies: Dave and Buster's". www.daveandbusters.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
14. ^ Entertainment, Main Event. "Main Event House Policies". Main Event. Archived from the original on 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.

## Further reading

[edit]

* "Keegan Leaving Main Event and Marble Room Debuts". Modern Restaurant Management. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
* Smith, Casey (22 April 2015). "Popular entertainment venue Main Event opens in west Tulsa, featuring video games, bowling, billiards, laser tag and more". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
* Kezar, Korri (2018). "Main Event names restaurant veteran to CEO role". Dallas Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
* https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/02/main-event-entertainment-plans-new-look-prototype.html Archived 2015-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
* https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2015/07/13/dont-call-it-a-bowling-alley-main-event-will.html Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
* "Main Event sets opening date for family fun center in Christiana". delawareonline. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
* https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2020/05/19/bowling-valets-and-socially-distant-laser-tag-main-event-arcades-reopen-with-new-rules/?sh=25dd93872476 Archived 2024-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
* "Main Event readies to reopen in Humble". Houston Chronicle. 18 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
* https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2013/01/08/main-event-to-open-stafford-location.html Archived 2013-01-11 at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

* Official website