Dave & Buster’s revealed a pivotal leadership overhaul with the appointment of Tarun Lal—former President of KFC U.S.—as its new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective July 14, 2025.
Lal, who brings more than 25 years of leadership experience at Yum! Brands, transitions into the role following an interim period under Chairman Kevin Sheehan, who assumed the helm in December 2024 after former CEO Chris Morris stepped down. Sheehan praised Lal’s global track record, emphasizing his ability to “grow our business and create substantial shareholder value”.
Lal’s resume spans key positions as KFC Global COO and Managing Director for territories including the Middle East, Africa, India, and Pakistan.
Amid consecutive quarters of same‑store sales declines—8.3% down in Q1 2025, improving slightly from a 9.4% drop in Q4 2024—Dave & Buster’s has launched a recovery playbook focused on proven tactics. Key moves include reviving the Eat & Play combo, reintroducing TV advertising, launching a Summer Pass promotion, remodeling stores, optimizing menu pricing, and incentivizing store operators with sales-driven rewards. Lal is expected to reinforce this refocused strategy.
Despite the positive leadership news, Dave & Buster’s shares dipped about 3.2% after the announcement, reflecting continued investor wariness; the chain had lost nearly 23% of its value over the past 12 months, though it had gained ~6.5% year‑to‑date as of mid‑July.
“I am truly honored to be joining this incredibly talented team and to lead the company into its next chapter,” Lal said in a statement. “Dave & Buster’s and Main Event are iconic, highly differentiated brands with exceptionally large and loyal customer bases, outstanding unit-level and new unit economics, and huge potential for growth. I have been deeply impressed with what I have seen so far and sincerely look forward to working closely with our team and the board to deepen our connection with our guests and team members and drive immediate and long-term growth and value for all stakeholders.”
