---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001628280-25-034977"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "PLAY"
cik: "0001525769"
company_name: "Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc."
filed_at: "2025-07-15T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-18T06:28:59.754168+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.75
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Dave & Buster's appoints Tarun Lal as CEO; interim CEO Sheehan remains Chairman

## Summary
- Tarun Lal (ex-KFC U.S. President) appointed CEO and board member effective July 14, 2025.
- Base salary $800,000, target bonus 100% of salary, LTIP target 125% of base salary.
- Inducement equity: 124,766 stock options, 249,532 PSUs tied to same-store sales and EBITDA targets, plus stock-price-linked options.
- Kevin Sheehan steps down as interim CEO, continues as Chairman of the Board.
- Board adopted inducement plan reserving 2M shares for new-hire awards under Nasdaq Rule 5635(c)(4).

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001628280-25-034977
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: PLAY
- cik: 0001525769
- company_name: Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
- filed_at: 2025-07-15T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.75
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 8.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1525769/000162828025034977/0001628280-25-034977-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1525769/000162828025034977/play-20250715.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001628280-25-034977
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001628280-25-034977.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001628280-25-034977.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.