DAVE & BUSTERS

[augga706]

Alot of Dave & Busters commericals have been on tv lately. I have never seen them on tv b4 & i dont know if one is in columbia so thats why we are seeing the advertisement. Ga only has 2 in the whole state Atl has 1 in marrietta, & 1 in duluth but thats to far from augusta so i think the metro is going to be gettin 1 in the future. What new lifestyle center do you think has the best chance to land a dave & busters. The augusta mall, or the village of riverwatch, i doubt the forum will add the chain.

[Topher1]

I'd be really surprised if that chain located in Augusta at this point, but I've been very wrong before regarding expansion...

Based solely on personal experience (there's no D & B's in Tampa or Orlando), it would surprise me if D&B leapfrogged these much larger (and much more touristy) markets to set up shop in small markets like Augusta or Columbus...

[mitchella81]

I'd be really surprised if that chain located in Augusta at this point, but I've been very wrong before regarding expansion...

Based solely on personal experience (there's no D & B's in Tampa or Orlando), it would surprise me if D&B leapfrogged these much larger (and much more touristy) markets to set up shop in small markets like Augusta or Columbus...

[augga706]

Augusta & Columbus are not in the same market. Who in augusta thought by 07 augusta mall will have added the stores they did that were not in augusta already & nobody thought was coming anytime soon. Village of Riverwatch we know will have a markets not presently in augusta. After the cities u name including NC has a d & b only cities left in the southeast are columbia, birmingham, louisville, or little rock because there not close to any present chain. Surley augusta can stack up against them. Ga is big enough for more than one city atl to have this chain

[Topher1]

Larger southern metros without a D&B in their metro:

Charleston, SC

Columbia, SC

Greenville, SC

Greensboro/Winston Salem,NC

Raleigh/Durham, NC

Richmond, VA

Northern VA/DC (some D&B's in the Maryland DC burbs though)

Virginia Beach/Norfolk/etc, VA

Memphis, TN

Chattanooga, TN

Birmingham, AL

Melbourne, FL

Lakeland, FL

Cape Coral, FL

Sarasota, FL

Orlando, FL

Tampa, FL

McAllen, TX

El Paso, TX

Little Rock, AR

Louisville, KY

Lexington, KY

New Orleans, LA

Baton Rough, LA

Finally getting, for example, a Banana Republic is a big(ish) deal, but this is a chain that has not aggressively pursued new growth markets.

[augga706]

They might have larger metros than augusta now. But metro augusta sprawl continues to grow, its going to hit jefferson, barnwell, mccormick, wilkes, lincoln, washington or any other county in the future. That would easily make the metro population btw 800,000 & 1 million. Out of all the cities u name only charleston, orlando, memphis, tampa, & new orleans have major tourism that can match augusta. Ppl in the metro area will not be the only ones at our malls. Columbia,sc is the capital of the state & their population visit augusta more than they visit charleston & greenville probably put together, so why would they not see the potential.

[socaguy]

OK now Im mad when I saw the title of the thread I was sure that one had been announced for Augusta, but then read the text. Oh well.

No big deal....we get Ikea commercials here in the Upstate and there is certainly not one coming to our area any time soon.

[socaguy]

Augga706, I was just wondering why you think more people from Columbia SC visit Augusta than they do Greenville or Charleston. I would think the opposite. The only reason anyone from Columbia would visit Augusta would be to make a pit stop on I-20 for gas or something on their way to Atlanta. Im not trying to downgrade Augusta or anything...I love it, but there is just no reasoning behind what you said. Also, Id say just about every city/metro on that list, save maybe Mcallen Texas, gets more tourists than Augusta. What would even make you think Augusta Ga. could compete with places like Northern Virginia, Sarasota Florida, Birmingham Alabama, Memphis, Louisville, Melbourne, Columbia, etc etc. ???

[Topher1]

I didn't want to argue much longer, but yeah, Augusta is low on the tourism ranking of the listed cities... 1 week a year doesn't make our home a tourist magnet...

Melbourne, FL? Contains Cocoa Beach, Titusville, and Kennedy Space Center

Lakeland, FL? Cypress Gardens. Florida's first "theme park."

Sarasota and Cape Coral? Beaches

Chattanooga? Tennessee Aquarium and mountains

VA Beach? Beaches, Busch Gardens, and some great old urban towns (Williamsburg, Portsmouth)

Greenville? Mountains and revitalized downtown

The only cities listed that Augusta competes with for tourists would be Greensboro/Winston Salem, Raleigh/Durham, McAllen, El Paso, Baton Rough, and maybe Lexington.

Pessimism aside, I think Augusta has the goods to raise itself to at least Columbia, Greenville, and Birmingham's levels.

[augga706]

one week a yr is still the super bowl of golf & for seven days our airports, downtown, resturants, highways, streets are congested. Ppl from other continents dont visit those cities like augusta. Out of all the cities you name unless you are from that state u have never heard of those cities except for the few i mention earlier. Aug ppl have heard of from all over, ppl from the masters after they visit they say how there just coming back to see the riverwalk. The super bowl only happens once a yr but think how much the city gains from ppl using hotels, resturants, gas stations, etc, its millions of dollars. The masters is so dominant that it overshadows other events. Augusta has the augusta futurity one of the biggest events in the u.s. which has alot of tourist from different states. Augusta Grand Prix on the water will have alot of tourist plus the tour de georgia starting in downtown augusta will add more tourist. The powerfest had over 15,000 spectators at the fair grounds downtown the mayfest had btw 5 & 7 thousand. The bass master championship is on espn now so not only the masters is on tv. We could even add aiken's horse events if u wanted to. We know a james brown museum & water park are coming in 5 yrs. You can not tell me that ppl in columbia vist greenville or charleston more than they do augusta. Its only a hour away from aug & I-20 is hands down the most congested, even i know ppl from saluda county who drive to augusta. They lived by greenville & columbia & still come here. In Richmond County a new hotel is being built everyday why is that, because like a developer said theres not enough upscale hotels to handle the tourism demand in augusta.

[109investments]

please guys,

If Georgia were to get a D&B outside of Atlanta itd be:

with over 6 million vistors a year in Savannah, I think savannah will get a D&B before augusta and columbus.....

[augga706]

please guys,

If Georgia were to get a D&B outside of Atlanta itd be:

with over 6 million vistors a year in Savannah, I think savannah will get a D&B before augusta and columbus.....

[Mr Downtown]

I didn't want to argue much longer, but yeah, Augusta is low on the tourism ranking of the listed cities... 1 week a year doesn't make our home a tourist magnet...

Melbourne, FL? Contains Cocoa Beach, Titusville, and Kennedy Space Center

Lakeland, FL? Cypress Gardens. Florida's first "theme park."

Sarasota and Cape Coral? Beaches

Chattanooga? Tennessee Aquarium and mountains

VA Beach? Beaches, Busch Gardens, and some great old urban towns (Williamsburg, Portsmouth)

Greenville? Mountains and revitalized downtown

The only cities listed that Augusta competes with for tourists would be Greensboro/Winston Salem, Raleigh/Durham, McAllen, El Paso, Baton Rough, and maybe Lexington.

Pessimism aside, I think Augusta has the goods to raise itself to at least Columbia, Greenville, and Birmingham's levels.

[mitchella81]

augusta is just starting to rapidly grow this yr & already adds 6 to 7,000 ppl a yr. Its already bigger than columbus & savannah plus has more ppl in its metro.

[PJA]

Augusta already has an Indigo Joes and has had one for a while. However about Dave and Buster's, I'm not quite so sure we are getting one. It's possible but I'm not that optimistic.

As far as city populations, atlanta doesn't have a population of 500,000 yet they located there so I'm not sure they are even sticking to their own criteria.

[dougtha1]

This is really interesting, I thought for the longest that Macon was getting one bcause we were getting a lot of D&B commercials too? Has anyone heard anything? Its been about a year since they've started the ad campaign here so I'vejust accepted that maybe they are just trying to tap into new markets for business at the current locations.

[Mr Downtown]

I've been hearing the same rumors for Columbus that Dave and Busters was coming here. The commercials have been bieng shown for over a year down here, but when I went researched the company I found that they locate only in cities with over 500,000 people in the actual city pop not the MSA or CSA pop however some larger cities like Atlanta they locate in nearby suburbs instead of the actual city. Places like Atlanta, Nashville, Jacksonville, and Miami are some of the markets they went into in the southeast. I seriously doubt anywhere in Georgia is about to get a dave and busters except maybe Atlanta might get number 3.

[augga706]

There are smaller resturants in the same business category as D&B's that would probaly move into all of these cities one of which is Indigo Joes not quite D&B but still nice and they have been shopping around GA. Also look at the population difference between AUG & Col not much bout 11,000 people. UGA has said Col will lead the state in growth both population and economically (expansion wise) over the next decade in the 2010 census Columbus is suppose to go back to GA's 2nd largest city. So the its bigger defense can't really be used when most business look long term when looking at where to locate not right now or in the past.

[socaguy]

What the hell...Ive never been to a Dave and Busters as it probably wouldnt do anything for me but who cares if it comes to any of our Georgia cities or not. Augusta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Athens...hell probably Rome, Valdosta and Albany could support one but who cares if they "supposedly" require a minimum of 500K in city limits to open a location. Sounds like a lame and unrealistic marketing tactic to me. I can see something really trendy like Ikea or something really upscale doing that....but Dave and Busters...LOL!!!

[Topher1]

I didnt know that Augusta competed with the Triad area in terms of tourists or anything for that matter. Yes for one week a year Augusta is on the map, but I would guess there are as many reasons to visit the Triad as there are to Augusta.

[PJA]

What the hell...Ive never been to a Dave and Busters as it probably wouldnt do anything for me but who cares if it comes to any of our Georgia cities or not. Augusta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Athens...hell probably Rome, Valdosta and Albany could support one but who cares if they "supposedly" require a minimum of 500K in city limits to open a location. Sounds like a lame and unrealistic marketing tactic to me. I can see something really trendy like Ikea or something really upscale doing that....but Dave and Busters...LOL!!!

[dan326]

Orlando, FL

Tampa, FL

McAllen, TX

El Paso, TX

Little Rock, AR

Louisville, KY

Lexington, KY

New Orleans, LA

Baton Rough, LA

Finally getting, for example, a Banana Republic is a big(ish) deal, but this is a chain that has not aggressively pursued new growth markets.

[Topher1]

Spelled "Baton Rouge"

[augga706]

Metro Augusta new markets in 2007 include coach, coldwater creek, dave & buster's, banana republic, white house/black market, & these are the ones we know of. The augusta mall has about 15 new stores coming & 2 resturants, the village of riverwatch will have 90-100 stores & resturants, the forum will have new stores & a 118 room hotel, the rest of this yr will be exciting waiting to see what new market taps into the metro area. I see a cheesecake factory,saks, neiman marcus, gucci, tiffany & co.,jimmy choo, giorgio armani, gianni versace or a boss hugo boss making a entry into augusta instead of just a parisians which i know is coming since we dont have one yet.

[Mr Downtown]

What the hell...Ive never been to a Dave and Busters as it probably wouldnt do anything for me but who cares if it comes to any of our Georgia cities or not. Augusta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Athens...hell probably Rome, Valdosta and Albany could support one but who cares if they "supposedly" require a minimum of 500K in city limits to open a location. Sounds like a lame and unrealistic marketing tactic to me. I can see something really trendy like Ikea or something really upscale doing that....but Dave and Busters...LOL!!!