Dave & Buster’s, the sports bar and arcade that opened at Natick Mall last summer before closing for COVID-19 reasons this spring, has announced it will lay off 11o employees beginning on Nov. 8.
These employees had been furloughed in mid-March, but the continuing pandemic (“unforeseeable business circumstances”) has forced Dave & Buster’s to make this move, according to a WARN notice shared with the Mall and Town of Natick by the company’s Senior Director of HR Kathryn Rainey.
“The worksite is not being permanently closed. The Company intends to rehire for impacted positions when COVID-19 pandemic and economic conditions permit,” according to the WARN notice.
Dave & Buster’s has made similar layoff announcements of late at other locations, including in New Orleans and Cary, N.C.
On the bright side, Night Shift Brewing and the new Level99 immersive gaming company are joining forces on a new operation slated to open at the Mall next year.
So if it manages to open and Dave & Buster’s can come back, the Mall will be THE local place for indoor play. Perhaps encouraging news on that front is that Dave & Buster’s did just open a location at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester.
Leave a Reply