Dave & Buster's Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
| DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entertainment revenues | $ | 332.6 | 61.1 | % | $ | 364.5 | 65.4 | % | $ | 677.7 | 61.4 | % | $ | 731.1 | 65.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Food and beverage revenues | 211.5 | 38.9 | % | 192.9 | 34.6 | % | 425.6 | 38.6 | % | 393.9 | 35.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 544.1 | 100.0 | % | 557.4 | 100.0 | % | 1,103.3 | 100.0 | % | 1,125.0 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Cost of entertainment | 30.7 | 9.2 | % | 29.2 | 8.0 | % | 58.1 | 8.6 | % | 59.8 | 8.2 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Cost of food and beverage | 52.5 | 24.8 | % | 47.2 | 24.5 | % | 104.9 | 24.6 | % | 98.8 | 25.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total cost of products | 83.2 | 15.3 | % | 76.4 | 13.7 | % | 163.0 | 14.8 | % | 158.6 | 14.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Operating payroll and benefits | 140.2 | 25.8 | % | 138.7 | 24.9 | % | 280.3 | 25.4 | % | 273.7 | 24.3 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Other store operating expenses | 192.9 | 35.5 | % | 186.9 | 33.5 | % | 379.6 | 34.4 | % | 375.3 | 33.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 27.1 | 5.0 | % | 32.0 | 5.7 | % | 54.6 | 4.9 | % | 56.3 | 5.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 73.7 | 13.5 | % | 65.2 | 11.7 | % | 144.6 | 13.1 | % | 128.4 | 11.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Pre-opening costs | 6.7 | 1.2 | % | 4.1 | 0.7 | % | 12.1 | 1.1 | % | 10.1 | 0.9 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Other charges and gains | 0.9 | 0.2 | % | 1.1 | 0.2 | % | 2.8 | 0.3 | % | 6.4 | 0.6 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total operating costs | 524.7 | 96.4 | % | 504.4 | 90.5 | % | 1,037.0 | 94.0 | % | 1,008.8 | 89.7 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Operating income | 19.4 | 3.6 | % | 53.0 | 9.5 | % | 66.3 | 6.0 | % | 116.2 | 10.3 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 38.0 | 7.0 | % | 38.7 | 6.9 | % | 74.9 | 6.8 | % | 75.5 | 6.7 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | (18.6 | ) | (3.4 | )% | 14.3 | 2.6 | % | (8.6 | ) | (0.8 | )% | 40.7 | 3.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | (6.1 | ) | (1.1 | )% | 2.9 | 0.5 | % | (1.8 | ) | (0.2 | )% | 7.6 | 0.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (12.5 | ) | (2.3 | )% | $ | 11.4 | 2.0 | % | $ | (6.8 | ) | (0.6 | )% | $ | 33.1 | 2.9 | % | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) per share: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | 0.33 | $ | (0.20 | ) | $ | 0.96 | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | 0.32 | $ | (0.20 | ) | $ | 0.94 | ||||||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares used in per share calculations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic shares | 34.81 | 34.52 | 34.78 | 34.56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shares | 34.81 | 35.14 | 34.78 | 35.08 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Company-owned stores at end of period | 250 | 237 | 250 | 237 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Store operating weeks in the period | 3,204 | 3,066 | 6,364 | 6,081 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenue per store operating weeks in the period (in thousands) | $ | 170 | $ | 182 | $ | 173 | $ | 185 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenue per square foot per store operating weeks in the period (in dollars) | $ | 4.15 | $ | 4.43 | $ | 4.23 | $ | 4.49 |
| (1) | All percentages are expressed as a percentage of total revenues for the respective period presented, except cost of entertainment, which is expressed as a percentage of entertainment revenues, and cost of food and beverage, which is expressed as a percentage of food and beverage revenues. | |
| DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Other Financial Data (unaudited, in millions) | |||||||
| Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets: | |||||||
| August 4, 2026 | February 3, 2026 | ||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 16.0 | $ | 16.6 | |||
| Other current assets | 111.8 | 107.5 | |||||
| Total current assets | 127.8 | 124.1 | |||||
| Property and equipment, net | 1,739.9 | 1,719.0 | |||||
| Operating lease right of use assets | 1,283.1 | 1,303.2 | |||||
| Intangible and other assets, net | 970.1 | 970.3 | |||||
| Total assets | $ | 4,120.9 | $ | 4,116.6 | |||
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | |||||||
| Total current liabilities | $ | 430.7 | $ | 434.6 | |||
| Deferred income taxes | 66.6 | 68.6 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities | 1,539.4 | 1,562.6 | |||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 495.8 | 444.6 | |||||
| Long-term debt, net | 1,500.5 | 1,515.0 | |||||
| Stockholders' equity | 87.9 | 91.2 | |||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 4,120.9 | $ | 4,116.6 |
| Summary Cash Flow Information: | ||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
| August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | |||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating activities: | $ | 46.8 | $ | 34.0 | $ | 160.6 | $ | 129.8 | ||||||||
| Investing activities: | (84.7 | ) | (84.7 | ) | (190.0 | ) | (239.3 | ) | ||||||||
| Financing activities: | 34.3 | 50.8 | 28.8 | 114.6 | ||||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (3.6 | ) | $ | 0.1 | $ | (0.6 | ) | $ | 5.1 | ||||||
| DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Non-GAAP Measures (unaudited, in millions) |
Adjusted EBITDA:
Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss), plus interest expense, net, loss on debt refinancing, provision for (benefit from) income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, (gain) loss on property and equipment transactions, impairment of long-lived assets, share-based compensation, currency transaction (gains) losses, transaction and integration costs, system implementation costs and certain other costs, as calculated below. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure commonly used in our industry and should not be construed as an alternative to net income as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity (as determined in accordance with GAAP). Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is presented because we believe that it provides useful information to investors and analysts regarding our operating performance. By reporting Adjusted EBITDA, we provide a basis for comparison of our business operations between current, past and future periods by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. A reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA is provided below for the periods presented:
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 4, 2026 (1) | August 5, 2025 (1) | August 4, 2026 (1) | August 5, 2025 (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (12.5 | ) | (2.3 | )% | $ | 11.4 | 2.0 | % | $ | (6.8 | ) | (0.6 | )% | $ | 33.1 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||
| Add back: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 38.0 | 38.7 | 74.9 | 75.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | (6.1 | ) | 2.9 | (1.8 | ) | 7.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | 73.7 | 65.2 | 144.6 | 128.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation(2) | 0.9 | 7.9 | 3.4 | 10.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transaction and integration costs(3) | - | 0.2 | - | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| System implementation costs(4) | - | 0.9 | - | 2.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loss on property and equipment transactions(5) | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 3.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other items, net(6) | 4.0 | 2.4 | 4.9 | 3.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure(1) | $ | 98.9 | 18.2 | % | $ | 129.8 | 23.3 | % | $ | 222.0 | 20.1 | % | $ | 265.8 | 23.6 | % |
| (1) | All percentages are expressed as a percentage of total revenues for the respective period presented. | |
| (2) | Non-cash share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, recorded in General and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). | |
| (3) | Transaction and integration costs related to the acquisition and integration of Main Event recorded in General and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) | |
| (4) | System implementation costs represent expenses incurred related to the development of new enterprise resource planning, human capital management and inventory software for our stores and store support teams. These charges are recorded in Other charges and gains on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). | |
| (5) | Loss on property and equipment transactions primarily represents the net book value of assets retired and certain costs associated with the retirement of those assets. | |
| (6) | The amounts for the 2026 periods primarily consisted of severance and restructuring charges, one-time third-party legal consulting fees, a discrete legal settlement outside of the normal course of business, and various individually immaterial adjustments. The amount for the fiscal 2025 periods primarily consisted of discretionary retention incentives, one-time, third-party consulting fees, and severance costs. | |
Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization:
Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization, a non-GAAP measure, represents operating income, plus depreciation and amortization expense, general and administrative expenses, pre-opening costs and other gains and charges. We believe that Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization is another useful measure in evaluating our operating performance because it removes the impact of general and administrative expenses, which are not incurred at the store level, and the costs of opening new stores, which are non-recurring at the store level, and thereby enables the comparability of the operating performance of our stores for the periods presented. We also believe that Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization is a useful measure in evaluating our operating performance within the entertainment and dining industry because it permits the evaluation of store-level productivity, efficiency, and performance, and we use Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization as a means of evaluating store financial performance compared with our competitors. However, because this measure excludes significant items such as general and administrative expenses, pre-opening costs and other gains and charges, as well as our interest expense, net, loss on debt extinguishment/refinance and depreciation and amortization expense, which are important in evaluating our consolidated financial performance from period to period, the value of this measure is limited as a measure of our consolidated financial performance. A reconciliation of operating income to Store Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization is provided below for the periods presented:
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 4, 2026 (1) | August 5, 2025 (1) | August 4, 2026 (1) | August 5, 2025 (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 19.4 | 3.6 | % | $ | 53.0 | 9.5 | % | $ | 66.3 | 6.0 | % | $ | 116.2 | 10.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Add back: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 27.1 | 32.0 | 54.6 | 56.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | 73.7 | 65.2 | 144.6 | 128.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pre-opening costs | 6.7 | 4.1 | 12.1 | 10.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other gains and charges | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 6.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Store operating income before depreciation and amortization, a non-GAAP measure | $ | 127.8 | 23.5 | % | $ | 155.4 | 27.9 | % | $ | 280.4 | 25.4 | % | $ | 317.4 | 28.2 | % |
| (1) | All percentages are expressed as a percentage of total revenues for the respective period presented. | |
Adjusted free cash flow:
Adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, represents Net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, plus payments received from landlords related to sale-leaseback transactions and finance leases. Management believes adjusted free cash flow provides investors with an additional measure of the cash generated by the business after considering routine capital investment requirements. A reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted free cash flow is provided below for the periods presented:
| Six Months Ended | ||||||||
| August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | |||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 160.6 | $ | 129.8 | ||||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (190.0 | ) | (243.8 | ) | ||||
| Add: Incentives from landlords - finance leases | - | 4.5 | ||||||
| Add: Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions | 48.9 | 73.0 | ||||||
| Adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure | $ | 19.5 | $ | (36.5 | ) | |||
Credit Adjusted EBITDA and Net Total Leverage Ratio:
Credit Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, represents net loss plus certain items as defined at Adjusted EBITDA above, as well as certain other adjustments as defined in our Credit Agreement. These other adjustments include (i) entertainment revenue deferrals, (ii) the cost of new projects, including store pre-opening costs, (iii) business optimization expenses and other restructuring costs, and (iv) other costs and adjustments as permitted by the Credit Agreement. We believe the presentation of Credit Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate as it provides additional information to investors about the calculation of, and compliance with, certain financial covenants in the Credit Agreement. The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Net loss to Credit Adjusted EBITDA for the period shown:
| Trailing Four Quarters Ended August 4, 2026 | ||||
| Net loss | $ | (88.7 | ) | |
| Add back: | ||||
| Interest expense, net | 153.4 | |||
| Loss on debt refinancing | - | |||
| Provision for income taxes | (28.6 | ) | ||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | 295.6 | |||
| Share-based compensation(1) | 12.1 | |||
| Transaction and integration costs(2) | 0.3 | |||
| System implementation costs(3) | 0.9 | |||
| Loss on property and equipment transactions and impairments(4) | 35.7 | |||
| Other items, net(5) | 12.1 | |||
| Pre-opening costs(6) | 21.1 | |||
| Credit Facility specific items, net(7) | 21.9 | |||
| Credit Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure | $ | 435.8 |
| (1) | See discussion of share-based compensation at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (2) | See discussion of transaction and integration costs at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (3) | See discussion of system implementation costs at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (4) | Consists of store asset impairments and loss on property and equipment disposals. | |
| (5) | Primarily consists of discretionary retention incentives, severance costs and certain third-party consulting fees. The third-party consulting fees are not part of our ongoing operations and were incurred in association with a change in leadership to execute discrete, project-based strategic initiatives aimed at analyzing and summarizing growth opportunities and cost reductions for the Company. The transformative nature, narrow scope, and limited duration of these incremental consulting fees are not reflective of the ordinary course expenses incurred to operate our business. Third-party consulting fees, discretionary retention incentives and severance costs are included in General and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). | |
| (6) | Represents costs incurred, primarily consisting of occupancy and payroll related expenses, associated with the opening of new stores. These costs are considered a“cost of new projects” as defined in our Credit Facility. | |
| (7) | Represents other adjustments allowed under our Credit Agreement in the determination of Net Total Leverage Ratio including (i) amortization of software costs, (ii) executive search fees, (iii) public company costs, (iv) estimated impact of remodels to financial performance, (v) the pro forma impact of certain leases that were reclassified as finance leases during fiscal 2025 and (vi) the pro forma impact of certain implemented cost saving initiatives. | |
The following table provides a calculation of Net Total Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, for the period shown:
| As of, and for the Trailing Four Quarters Ended August 4, 2026 | |||
| Credit Adjusted EBITDA (a) | $ | 435.8 | |
| Total debt(1) | 1,540.4 | ||
| Less: Cash and cash equivalents | (16.0 | ) | |
| Add: Outstanding letters of credit | 18.9 | ||
| Net debt (b) | $ | 1,543.3 | |
| Net Total Leverage Ratio (b / a) | 3.5 | x |
| (1) | Amount represents the sum of the carrying amount of debt outstanding and finance lease liabilities. | |
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Diluted:
Adjusted net income (loss), a non-GAAP measure, represents net income (loss) before special items, as calculated below, and Adjusted net income (loss) per share - diluted, a non-GAAP measure, represents Adjusted net income (loss) on a fully diluted, per share basis. We believe excluding these special items from net income (loss) provides investors with a clearer perspective of our ongoing operating performance and a more relevant comparison to prior period results. The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted net income (loss) and presents Adjusted net income (loss) per diluted share, for the periods shown:
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | August 4, 2026 | August 5, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Per Diluted Share | $ | Per Diluted Share | $ | Per Diluted Share | $ | Per Diluted Share | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) and net income (loss) per diluted share | $ | (12.5 | ) | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | 11.4 | $ | 0.32 | $ | (6.8 | ) | $ | (0.20 | ) | $ | 33.1 | $ | 0.94 | |||||||||||
| Adjustments: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transaction and integration costs(1) | - | - | 0.2 | 0.01 | - | - | 0.4 | 0.01 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| System implementation costs(2) | - | - | 0.9 | 0.03 | - | - | 2.5 | 0.07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loss on property and equipment transactions(3) | - | - | 0.2 | 0.01 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 3.9 | 0.11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other items, net(4) | 4.0 | 0.11 | 2.4 | 0.07 | 4.9 | 0.14 | 3.5 | 0.10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tax impact of items above, net(5) | (1.0 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (0.9 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (1.3 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (2.7 | ) | (0.08 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) and Adjusted net income (loss) per share - diluted, non-GAAP measures | $ | (9.5 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | $ | 14.2 | $ | 0.40 | $ | (3.2 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | 40.7 | $ | 1.16 |
| (1) | See discussion of transaction and integration costs at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (2) | See discussion of system implementation costs at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (3) | Loss on property and equipment transactions primarily represents the net book value of assets retired and certain costs associated with the retirement of those assets. | |
| (4) | See discussion of other items, net at Adjusted EBITDA above. | |
| (5) | The income tax effect related to special items is based on the blended jurisdictional statutory tax rates for the applicable period. | |

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Comments
No comment