AR And VR Trends Will Erode Traditional Arcade Revenue

Key Takeaways

• Advancing at-home entertainment and evolving consumer preferences are weakening demand for Dave & Buster's traditional arcade and eatertainment experiences.
  
• Ongoing high capital needs, labor costs, and competition from alternative group venues will pressure margins and challenge long-term profitability.
  
• Strategic upgrades, data-driven marketing, and disciplined operations underpin strong revenue growth, margin improvement, and scalable expansion opportunities both domestically and internationally.

Catalysts

Owns and operates entertainment and dining venues for adults and families in North America.

• The continued proliferation and improvement of at-home entertainment technologies such as AR/VR gaming, high-performance home gaming consoles, and streaming platforms is likely to erode the novelty and draw of Dave & Buster's arcade offerings, leading to declining foot traffic, reduced same-store sales, and persistent top-line pressure in the years ahead.
  
• Shifting consumer preferences towards wellness, outdoor social activities, and travel experiences-especially among younger demographics-will result in a diminished appetite for traditional indoor arcade and eatertainment formats, causing Dave & Buster's to struggle to capture sufficient incremental demand and limiting revenue growth.
  
• The company's heavy reliance on capital-intensive arcade and redemption games, which are subject to rapid technological obsolescence, means it will face ongoing high capital expenditure needs and accelerated depreciation, ultimately constraining free cash flow and exerting downward pressure on net margins as frequent reinvestment is required to remain relevant with consumers.
  
• Rising labor costs, sector-wide labor shortages, and increasing minimum wages will drive up operating expenses across Dave & Buster's and its Main Event units, further compressing EBITDA margins and putting the company at a disadvantage compared to leaner or more technology-driven competitors.
  
• Intensifying competition from new eatertainment concepts, high-end bowling alleys, VR-based escape rooms, and alternative group entertainment venues is set to erode market share and force Dave & Buster's to increase discounting or promotional activity, which will negatively impact average check, pricing power, and overall profitability.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• This narrative explores a more pessimistic perspective on Dave & Buster's Entertainment compared to the consensus, based on a Fair Value that aligns with the bearish cohort of analysts.
• The bearish analysts are assuming Dave & Buster's Entertainment's revenue will grow by 4.3% annually over the next 3 years.
• The bearish analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 1.8% today to 4.2% in 3 years time.
• The bearish analysts expect earnings to reach $100.2 million (and earnings per share of $3.23) by about July 2028, up from $38.6 million today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the price target of the more bearish analyst cohort, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 10.9x on those 2028 earnings, down from 28.9x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Hospitality industry at 24.2x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 7.0% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 11.6%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• The resurgence of in-person experiential spending, especially among younger demographics, is driving traffic increases supported by new marketing, menu, and gaming initiatives, which could result in sustained or growing revenues and store-level profitability.
  
• The company's remodel program and introduction of new gaming experiences, including exclusive titles and high-ROI attractions, have shown outperformance compared to the overall system, indicating that capital investment in upgrades may lead to higher average unit volumes and improved margins.
  
• Dave & Buster's is leveraging data-driven marketing and high-performing loyalty offers (such as the Eat & Play combo and Summer Pass) that are successfully boosting customer opt-in rates, driving both visit frequency and average ticket size upward, contributing to improved revenue per guest and higher net margins.
  
• Significant runway for domestic unit expansion and a nascent but accelerating international franchise strategy provide avenues for low-risk, high-return growth, which could result in compounded earnings growth and increasing free cash flow in the long term.
  
• The new management team's focus on lean operations, disciplined cost control, and robust incentive structures for local managers aligns store performance with shareholder value, which may enhance earnings conversion and drive higher return on invested capital over time.

Valuation

• The assumed bearish price target for Dave & Buster's Entertainment is $29.0, which represents the lowest price target estimate amongst analysts. This valuation is based on what can be assumed as the expectations of Dave & Buster's Entertainment's future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors from analysts on the more bearish end of the spectrum.
• However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $46.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $29.0.
• In order for you to agree with the bearish analysts, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $2.4 billion, earnings will come to $100.2 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 10.9x, assuming you use a discount rate of 11.6%.
• Given the current share price of $32.28, the bearish analyst price target of $29.0 is 11.3% lower. Despite analysts expecting the underlying buisness to improve, they seem to believe the market's expectations are too high.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.