BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield is finally getting a Dave & Buster’s. The popular restaurant is currently under construction and hiring for 150 positions, including servers, hosts, and game technicians.
Set to open in October at the Valley Plaza Mall, the restaurant is bringing much-needed jobs into Kern County, according to Teresa Hitchcock with the Kern County Economic Development Corporation.
“We are also excited when we see large numbers of job openings, because although the labor market is a little tight for us right now, we are still trending slightly higher than the state and federal levels of unemployment,” said Hitchcock.
In fact, the unemployment rate in Kern County is approximately twice the rate of both California and the United States. As of Summer 2022, the national unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, while the rate in California is 3.9 percent. In Kern County at the same time, the unemployment rate is 6.9 percent.
Hitchcock, however, remains hopeful for the future of our local economy.
“We are always excited to see new employers come into the market,” said Hitchcock. “One thing is that it signals to other employers that we are a great place to locate, so all new activity is good activity.”
Bradley French, who will be the general manager of the new Dave & Buster’s, says the restaurant is looking to hire for every type of hospitality service.
“We are looking for front house and back of the house employees, particularly servers, bartenders, line cooks, and game techs,” said French.
Jobseekers interested in applying for a position at the Valley Plaza Dave & Buster’s can fill out an online application at the Dave & Buster’s jobs website. The restaurant is scheduled to open on October 17th.
