‘Entertainment juggernaut’: Check out Dave & Buster’s upgraded space in Whitehall | Eat, Sip, Shop

WHITEHALL, Pa. – A popular entertainment center is enhancing its services in Lehigh County.

Dave & Buster's, the entertainment and dining chain that invites customers to “eat, drink, play and watch,” will open its reimagined Lehigh Valley location at 1491 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township on January 12.

The Whitehall location opened in October 2020 in an outparcel of the Lehigh Valley Mall, which previously housed Friendly's and Wendy's restaurants as well as an office building.

Several upgrades, including new furniture, lighting and carpeting, have taken place in recent months, Principal Jeffrey Hartwyk said.

Additionally, new social bays — three for digital darts and two for shuffleboard — are nearing completion in the former dining space, Hartwyk said.

Social spaces, where guests will have the opportunity to eat while they play, can be reserved by the hour online or at three kiosks near the entrance to the establishment.

Additionally, more shareable dishes are expected to be added to the menu in about a month, Hartwyk said.

The space as a whole is much brighter, with new neon signage and overhead lighting.

“Our space was a lot darker before,” Hartwyk said. “The furniture was darker and the lighting was darker. So we wanted to improve the atmosphere and make it more welcoming by changing the colors and brightening up the space.

In a press release, Dave & Buster's announced that “the future of gaming is here,” with a new design that takes everything the community loves about Dave & Buster's and “catapults it into tomorrow with fun and exciting activities.” revolutionary and innovative new ways for teams. create links. »

On January 12, the first 200 people in line at Whitehall Dave & Buster's will receive free games for a year.

“We open at 11 a.m. and we expect a line outside,” Hartwyk said.

Later in the day, there will be a grand opening celebration with music and prizes from 6 to 9 p.m. There will also be $5 drink specials from 4 to 7 p.m.

Here's a summary of what you can expect at the newly reinvented Dave & Buster's in Whitehall:

• Interactive Social Bays – Prepare for innovative new experiences with interactive games in the high-tech darts and shuffleboard bays. You'll be able to hang out with your friends in private, bookable social bays for two to six players. Darts and shuffleboard have been reimagined with digital interactivity for the “coolest, most innovative, and most advanced versions of darts and shuffleboard ever made,” the release said. Social Bays can be reserved in advance online at daveandbusters.com/eatertainment.

• Immersive Watch – The new Dave & Buster's Watch Experience brings you all your favorite games and sporting events “like never before,” with more screens, including a 40-foot one, and premium surround sound, the Release States . Approximately 50 oversized TVs are located throughout the space, as well as a VIP watch room with bottle service. “There’s no better place to watch a sporting event,” Hartwyk said.

• Evolved Menu – Dave & Buster's invites you and your team to feast on a revamped, chef-crafted menu filled with “tempting new and delicious options.”

• Sleek new store design – Dave & Buster's invites you to step into a state-of-the-art entertainment destination with a bright, energetic atmosphere that offers “the perfect destination for eating, drinking, playing and watching.”

• Midway and Prices – Dave & Buster's in Whitehall offers more than 120 games, VR experiences and a variety of prices.

To celebrate the grand reopening, Dave & Buster's introduced a “Find the Flag” promotion, where people who find five D&B flags hidden in the Allentown area receive prizes. A hidden flag remains missing and clues will be shared on Saturday, January 6.

“We're very excited about everything we've done here, and to celebrate, we launched our Find the Flag promotion last week,” Hartwyk said. “Whoever finds a flag will win a $100 gift card and an invitation with guests to our VIP party next Friday.”

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Texas, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates 220 venues across North America that provide premier entertainment and dining experiences to guests through two brands: Dave & Buster's and Main Event.

There are 162 Dave & Buster's branded stores in 42 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, offering customers the opportunity to “eat, drink, play and watch.”

In Whitehall, there are about 300 seats total, Hartwyk said. There are also private party rooms – two which can accommodate around 30 people and another which can accommodate around 80 people.

In addition to the new social bays, the property also recently added new Emoji Frenzy and Guardians of the Galaxy arcade games.

Whitehall team members have been working on the upgrades over the past few months and are “extremely excited” to introduce them to the public, Hartwyk said.

“We look forward to revealing Dave & Buster’s as an entertainment juggernaut to the rapidly growing Lehigh Valley community,” Hartwyk said. “We are thrilled that our neighbors will be able to experience this incredible transformation for themselves. »

Special offers at Whitehall Dave & Buster's include a $5 Happy Hour (4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday) and a $5 Late Night Happy Hour (9 p.m. to close Sunday-Thursday), where customers can enjoy of $5 drink specials, including the new Tres Tequila Rita, 22 ounces of local draft beer, wine, Backwoods Blueberry Lemonade and D&B Long Island Iced Tea.

As a thank you to members of the military and first responders, Dave & Buster's is offering 15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages with valid ID.

Dave & Buster's Lehigh Valley hours are 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Info: daveandbusters.com.