First Look At Dave And Buster's At Woodbridge Center Mall

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — New Jersey, are you ready to have some fun? Take a first look at the brand-new, not yet opened Dave & Buster's at the Woodbridge Center Mall — the franchise's first location in New Jersey. The restaurant/sports bar/gaming center officially opens its doors at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14.

At a VIP party Thursday afternoon, the media got a sneak peek at what is sure to become a nightlife destination for all of New Jersey. Located in the upper level of the mall, next to the Sears, this Dave & Buster's has two entrances — one from the parking lot and one from inside the mall.

"We expect people to come to the Woodbridge Dave & Buster's from all over New Jersey," said Amy Bellisano, general manager at the Woodbridge Center Mall, which is owned by GGP, Inc. "To have Dave & Buster's open here was a no-brainer. People these days are looking for new ways to socialize and get together and this brings entertainment options to a whole new level."

Because of a long-standing law on the books (originally created to protect Atlantic City) that prevented alcohol from being sold where gaming occurred, Dave & Buster's was only recently allowed to operate in the Garden State. New Jersey residents had to drive to either Philadelphia or Palisades Park, NY to get their Dave & Buster's fix. Eager to get into the Jersey market, the chain lobbied the New Jersey legislature for years to get the law overturned. Two years ago, Gov. Chris Christie lifted the ban.

The Woodbridge Dave & Buster's wanted to open Monday, Nov. 13, but Woodbridge Township had to overturn a few town ordinances, similar to laws in Trenton, that prevented alcohol from being sold where games of chance took place, according to Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac. The Woodbridge Town Council meets Monday night and will vote to overturn a final ordinance. The Dave & Buster's will open Tuesday at 11 a.m. sharp.

"We had to change our local statutes for this to occur," McCormac said. "But there was no resistance. We know what this means for economy. This is a great shot in the arm for the Woodbridge mall and will provide lots of jobs for our youth."

The Woodbridge Dave & Buster's filed 240 positions, and they're always looking for more talented servers, bartenders and chefs. The 34,000-square-foot restaurant features more than 150 arcade games, including all the latest offerings such as SpiderMan, World's Largest Pac-Man, Angry Birds and Space Invaders Frenzy. There are many games that are just for fun, such as air hockey, but also games you can redeem for prizes. Some of the big-ticket items you can win include a PlayStation 4 Pro, iPad Pro and xBox. Dave & Buster's also partners with Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and has games that tie into the releases of upcoming movies, such as "InJustice."

For the adults, there's a full bar, 12 beers on tap and a massive sports bar with 12 satellite dishes. The Woodbridge Dave & Buster's will broadcast all NFL games, UFC fights and boxing matches. There are three laser projector screens for big-screen events.

Dave & Buster's is also expanding beyond just kids' birthday parties; companies are increasingly choosing Dave & Buster's for their holiday parties, corporate events and, yes, even weddings. The Dave & Buster's on Long Island recently hosted two weddings.

"We're a really popular spot for first dates, so these two couples who had their first dates here wanted to have their weddings here, too," said Dan McGuinnes, general manager of the Dave & Buster's on Islandia, NY. "We were happy to accommodate them."

To that end, the Woodbridge Dave & Buster's features a large private room that can be used for holiday parties or even corporate events, with audi-visual capabilities and projectors. The room can seat up to 100 and be divided into two for smaller functions. Here's a food and beverage menu. A special menu is available for private functions.

In February, a Dave & Buster's is scheduled to open at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. One is also being planned for sometime next year at the Staten Island Mall. Woodbridge Center Mall general manager Bellisano was confident the State Island location wouldn't draw away customers.

"The Woodbridge Center mall serves 1.4 million people just in the Woodbridge market alone," she said. "And offering what's next in entertainment is what malls have to do today to evolve and stay relevant."

To that end, All-In Adventures will open in the first quarter 2018 on the lower level of the Woodbridge Center mall. It features an "escape room" inside of which groups are locked and must figure solve a series of clues to get out.

All photos and reporting done by Carly Baldwin/Patch