Dave & Buster’s co-founder James ‘Buster’ Corley dies at 72

James “Buster” Corley, a co-founder of the popular arcade restaurant chain Dave & Buster’s, has died, the company said.

He was 72. 

Dave & Buster’s remembered Corley as “an innovative and creative force.”

“His pioneering spirit and steadfast belief that ‘everybody is somebody’ set the foundation for bringing food and games to millions of Dave & Buster’s guests over the past 40 years. Buster’s passion for hospitality, his demand for excellence, and the deep care he had for his team members were unparalleled,” a representative for the company said.

“Our hearts go out to his family at this difficult time and while we will miss his wise counsel and his easy laugh, the legacy he and Dave built endures,” the statement concluded.

The company did not disclose the manner of death.

The Dallas Police Department said officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 6600 block of Yosemite Lane in the Lakewood neighborhood shortly before 7 p.m. Monday and found a man “with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The police department did not publicly identify the man.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Corley died Monday. A cause and manner of death were not available Wednesday afternoon.

His family told WFAA-TV of Dallas that the man described in the police incident was Corley.

“Buster Corley had a stroke four months ago that caused severe damage to the communication and personality part of his brain,” Kate Corley, Corley’s daughter, told the station. “The family asks for privacy during this time.”

Corley and David Corriveau opened their first Dave & Buster’s in a 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Dallas in December 1982. It has since exploded into a franchise with over 140 locations, according to the company’s website.

The duo decided to open their unique dining-and-entertainment experience after having led separate businesses of their own. In the late 1970s, Corley owned a restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, while Corriveau had a business that featured entertainment and games a few doors down. The two noticed that patrons rotated between both of their businesses and decided to join forces.

Corriveau passed away in 2015 at 63.