Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
The co-founder of popular gaming restaurant chain Dave & Buster’s has died in an apparent suicide, according to local reports and a company statement.
James “Buster” Corley, 72, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Dallas on Monday, local ABC affiliate WFAA reported.
Corley founded Dave & Buster’s with David Corriveau in Dallas in 1982, with more than 140 locations that have opened across the country since https://t.co/gML9QjGYxP
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The Dallas police found Corley after he allegedly shot himself at his home near White Rock Lake and rushed him to an area hospital, where he died.the police informed the station.
Both Corley’s family and the Dave & Buster company confirmed his death.
His daughter told the local station that her father had not been the same after suffering a recent stroke.
“Buster Corley suffered a stroke four months ago that caused severe damage to the communication and personality part of his brain,” Kate Corley said in a statement to the station. “The family requests privacy during this time.”
Corley founded the successful chain with partner David “Dave” Corriveau after the two teamed up to open the first Dallas location in 1982..
A spokesman for the company, sold by business partners years ago, remembered Corley for “his easy laugh” and his “deep care” for those who worked for him.
“His pioneering spirit and unwavering belief that ‘everyone is somebody’ laid the foundation for bringing food and games to millions of Dave & Buster guests over the past 40 years,” the Dave & Buster representative said in a statement. to WFAA.
“Buster’s passion for hospitality, his demand for excellence and the deep care he had for his team members were unparalleled.”
Corley and Corriveau owned and operated businesses (Corley a restaurant and Corriveau an arcade) doors down in the late 1970s.
They realized that they often share clients looking to do a day of dining and games, and they came up with the idea of creating an establishment with both attractions.
In December 1982, they teamed up and did exactly that – opening the first Dave & Buster’s on Dallas’ Restaurant Row.
The business partners tossed a coin to decide which name would go first, and Corriveau won the drawing, according to company history.
Since then, the company has opened more than 140 locations across the country.
“Our hearts go out to his family at this difficult time and while his wise counsel and easy laugh will be missed, the legacy he and Dave built lives on,” a Dave & Buster spokesperson said.
Corley survived Corriveau, who died at age 63 in 2015.
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