The beloved family-hangout chain is in trouble. To survive, it's trying a rowdy, adults-only solution.
Shortly before midnight near the edge of the Inland Empire, a woman hoisted a bulbous Labubu mascot atop her head, took a stranger's hand, and led a conga line to the pulse-quickening tune of a Vengaboys "We Like to Party" remix. Twentysomethings clad in Deftones and Pikachu tees, Dodgers caps, and beaded bracelets joined the procession, snaking from the dance floor through the bar area and back down again. Some strayed from the miniparade for sustenance -- hazmat-blue Jell-O shots in syringes, $5 a prick -- while others wiggled their glow sticks against the flickering pink and yellow lights.
We were not at a text-for-location warehouse rave on the outskirts of downtown L.A., nor were we at a club. In fact, this rager was Hello Kitty-themed -- with trippy visuals of the fluffy cat blaring behind the DJs -- and was hosted by the Dave & Buster's in Ontario, California, just over 35 miles outside Los Angeles. Weirder still: The Hello Kitty party is far from the only rave that Dave & Buster's has held.
The long-running chain, known mostly for its gargantuan arcade, bar fare, and...
Source: https://slate.com/business/2026/06/arcade-raves-dave-and-busters-family-friendly-business.html
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