Dave & Buster’s CEO Brian Jenkins retires; no permanent replacement announced yetDave & Buster’s CEO Brian Jenkins retires; no permanent replacement announced yet

Joanna Fantozzi

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. announced Tuesday that CEO Brian Jenkins is retiring on Sept. 30. Although the eatertainment company has not yet found a replacement CEO, Dave & Buster’s board chair Kevin M. Sheehan will serve as interim CEO until the search is over. Jenkins will also be serving as a senior advisor to the company through Nov. 30 to aid in the transition of power.

“It has been my honor and privilege to be a part of this industry-leading brand for the past fifteen years and I am proud of what our extraordinary team has accomplished together,” Jenkins said in a statement. “I am excited to watch D&B’s continued success in the future, and I’m also looking forward to spending time with my wife and family who have supported me throughout my career.”

Jenkins led Dave & Buster’s through some of the most challenging times of its history during the pandemic, as closed dining rooms and health concerns prevented many Dave & Buster’s locations from operating normally throughout 2020. As of the company’s most recent quarterly earnings report on Sept. 9, the company had finally started to see some positive returns, reporting same-store sales up 3.6%, higher than 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers.

“Brian has been a driving presence for Dave & Buster’s, playing an integral role in the impressive growth that led to our IPO and that which followed,” Sheehan said in a statement. “His leadership has been instrumental to our company’s success, and he has created a strong foundation for us to build upon. Brian successfully led the Company through the pandemic, and back to record-setting financial performance, while concurrently re-establishing a strong balance sheet. With those objectives achieved, Brian and the Board felt this was a good time to initiate this transition.”

Related:Dave & Buster’s begins to climb out of COVID-sized hole

As of Aug. 1, Dave & Buster’s has 142 stores in its portfolio, with one net new store opening during the quarter.

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