Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant and entertainment venue, has begun hiring workers for the company’s new West Des Moines location.

The Texas-based chain began planning the West Des Moines venue more than three years ago. The pandemic interrupted the development process. Plans resumed over a year ago and construction of the new restaurant began last summer.

The venue is at 190 S. Jordan Creek Parkway, just south of Jordan Creek Town Center.

Dave & Buster’s, which is expected to open July 31, is hiring people for 175 positions, general manager Zachary Darbonne said. “We’re hiring for multiple departments including for the kitchen, game technicians, in-house accountants, servers, bartenders and many others.”

The start of the hiring process comes at a time when Iowa’s unemployment rate is hovering at 2.7%. In April, Polk County’s unemployment rate was 2.2% with 6,300 people unemployed. The unemployment rate in Dallas County was 1.7% with 900 people unemployed, Iowa Workforce Development data shows.

Even though the unemployment rate is low, Darbonne said he doesn’t expect to have a difficult time finding workers. Dave & Buster’s offers competitive pay as well as medical, dental and vision insurance, he said. In addition, opportunities exist for advancement in the company.

“Thirty percent of our hourly workers end up in management,” Darbonne said. “I started out as a server and moved up all the way to general manager. The advancement opportunities are here as long as you’re willing to do the work.”

Information about employment at the West Des Moines Dave & Buster’s can be found on the company’s website.