Dave & Buster’s preps for Orland Park opening
By Mike Nolan mnolan@southtownstar.com August 30, 2012 4:40PM
General Manager Mike McCormick talks about the energy that comes with the new Dave & Buster's location in Orland Park, Illinois, Thursday, August 30, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: October 1, 2012 5:49PM
Once the Labor Day holiday wraps up, Mike McCormick will ditch his dress shirt and tie in favor of jeans, then wait for the big delivery to arrive.
Semi trucks loaded with games such as “Guitar Hero,” “Pac-Man” and even old-fashioned skee ball will be pulling up outside of Dave & Buster’s as its prepares for a Sept. 22 opening in Orland Park.
McCormick, originally from Chicago’s Beverly community, is general manager and, along with supervising the work in preparing for the opening, has been splitting his time interviewing dozens of job applicants at a nearby hotel. So far, he said Thursday, nearly 2,000 applications had been filed for about 200 jobs at the Orland location, northeast of the intersection of LaGrange Road and 151st Street.
Combining elements of a sports bar, restaurant and arcade — although Dave & Buster’s prefers the term midway — the 25,000-square-foot entertainment complex was built very close to where the Orland Square Theater once stood. Closed in February 2001 — among several theaters closed following the bankruptcy of owner Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp. — it was razed almost a year ago to make way for Dave & Buster’s.
McCormick said Dave & Buster’s is considered a “destination” location, meaning it draws customers from a wider area than just the town its located in. The company estimates the Orland Park location could attract fans from 10 to 25 miles away.
Orland is the third Dave & Buster’s in the Chicago area — others are in Addison and in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, where McCormick previously worked as general manager before being tabbed for the Orland position.
Between the dining room and bar, there is seating for 300 diners, and the menu goes beyond burgers and sandwiches to include entrees such as steaks and ribs, McCormick said.
But Dave & Buster’s shouldn’t be considered an after-work hangout or a place to watch the big game on weekends, McCormick said, noting it could be another lunch option for employees at local businesses.
“Instead of grabbing a couple of subs they might decide to come here and unwind,” he said.
And don’t worry about filling your pockets with quarters to play the games. Dave & Buster’s offers “Power Cards” that can be loaded with a certain number of credits, then refilled when their value hits zero.
Swipe a card to play one of the games, and a display will show how many credits have been deducted and what the player’s balance is, McCormick said. It also keeps track of points earned, and prizes run the gamut,from candy and stuffed animals to iPads, he said.
