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Side-by-side financial comparison of Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) and BOSTON BEER CO INC (SAM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($448.2M vs $385.7M, roughly 1.2× BOSTON BEER CO INC). BOSTON BEER CO INC runs the higher net margin — -5.8% vs -9.4%, a 3.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-1.1% vs -4.1%). BOSTON BEER CO INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($22.1M vs $-20.6M). Over the past eight quarters, BOSTON BEER CO INC's revenue compounded faster (-4.9% CAGR vs -13.5%).
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas. Each Dave & Buster's location has a full-service restaurant, full bar, and a video arcade, the latter of which is known as the "Million Dollar Midway". As of February 2024, the company has 158 locations in the United States, as well as two in Puerto Rico and two in Canada.
The Boston Beer Company is an American brewery founded in 1984 by James "Jim" Koch and Rhonda Kallman. Boston Beer Company's first brand of beer was named Samuel Adams after Founding Father Samuel Adams, an American revolutionary patriot. Since its founding, Boston Beer has started several other brands, and in 2019 completed a merger with Dogfish Head Brewery.
PLAY vs SAM — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $448.2M | $385.7M |
| Net Profit | $-42.1M | $-22.5M |
| Gross Margin | 85.8% | 43.5% |
| Operating Margin | -3.6% | -8.6% |
| Net Margin | -9.4% | -5.8% |
| Revenue YoY | -1.1% | -4.1% |
| Net Profit YoY | -28.7% | 41.9% |
| EPS (diluted) | $-1.22 | $-1.97 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q4 25 | $448.2M | $385.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $557.4M | $537.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $567.7M | $587.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $534.5M | $453.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $453.0M | $402.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $557.1M | $605.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $588.1M | $579.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $599.0M | $426.1M |
| Q4 25 | $-42.1M | $-22.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $11.4M | $46.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $21.7M | $60.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $9.3M | $24.4M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-32.7M | $-38.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $40.3M | $33.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $41.4M | $52.3M | ||
| Q1 24 | $36.1M | $12.6M |
| Q4 25 | 85.8% | 43.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 86.3% | 50.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 85.5% | 49.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 85.5% | 48.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 85.0% | 39.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 85.3% | 46.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 85.2% | 46.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 84.1% | 43.7% |
| Q4 25 | -3.6% | -8.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 9.5% | 11.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 11.1% | 14.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 8.3% | 7.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.4% | -13.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 15.2% | 7.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 14.5% | 12.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 14.9% | 3.6% |
| Q4 25 | -9.4% | -5.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.0% | 8.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.8% | 10.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.7% | 5.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | -7.2% | -9.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.2% | 5.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 7.0% | 9.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 6.0% | 3.0% |
| Q4 25 | $-1.22 | $-1.97 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.32 | $4.25 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.62 | $5.45 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.32 | $2.16 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.84 | $-3.23 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.99 | $2.86 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.99 | $4.39 | ||
| Q1 24 | $0.95 | $1.04 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $13.6M | $223.4M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $1.6B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $130.8M | $846.3M |
| Total Assets | $4.1B | $1.2B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 12.17× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $13.6M | $223.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $12.0M | $250.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $11.9M | $212.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $6.9M | $152.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.6M | $211.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $13.1M | $255.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $32.1M | $219.3M | ||
| Q1 24 | $37.3M | $205.4M |
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.5B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.5B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.3B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.3B | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.3B | — |
| Q4 25 | $130.8M | $846.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $166.2M | $911.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $146.8M | $912.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $145.8M | $897.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $226.6M | $916.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $284.4M | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $292.5M | $1.0B | ||
| Q1 24 | $251.2M | $1.0B |
| Q4 25 | $4.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.1B | $1.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $4.0B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.9B | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.8B | $1.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.8B | $1.4B | ||
| Q1 24 | $3.8B | $1.4B |
| Q4 25 | 12.17× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 9.57× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 10.98× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 10.45× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 6.58× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.72× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.58× | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 5.33× | — |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $58.0M | $39.9M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-20.6M | $22.1M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -4.6% | 5.7% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 17.5% | 4.6% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $-195.6M | $215.6M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $58.0M | $39.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $34.0M | $101.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $95.8M | $126.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | $108.9M | $1.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-7.2M | $41.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $101.8M | $115.9M | ||
| Q2 24 | $108.8M | $96.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $97.2M | $-4.9M |
| Q4 25 | $-20.6M | $22.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-55.2M | $89.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-58.8M | $112.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-61.0M | $-8.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-138.4M | $18.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-14.3M | $99.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-4.2M | $75.6M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-25.4M | $-20.6M |
| Q4 25 | -4.6% | 5.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | -9.9% | 16.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | -10.4% | 19.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | -11.4% | -1.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | -30.6% | 4.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | -2.6% | 16.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | -0.7% | 13.1% | ||
| Q1 24 | -4.2% | -4.8% |
| Q4 25 | 17.5% | 4.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 16.0% | 2.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 27.2% | 2.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 31.8% | 2.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 29.0% | 5.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 20.8% | 2.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 19.2% | 3.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 20.5% | 3.7% |
| Q4 25 | — | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.98× | 2.21× | ||
| Q2 25 | 4.41× | 2.09× | ||
| Q1 25 | 11.71× | 0.08× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.53× | 3.46× | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.63× | 1.83× | ||
| Q1 24 | 2.69× | -0.39× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
PLAY
| Game Play Credit Usage | $273.1M | 61% |
| Food And Nonalcoholic Beverages | $115.1M | 26% |
| Alcoholic Beverage | $53.7M | 12% |
| Other Entertainment | $6.3M | 1% |
| Gift Card Revenue | $3.5M | 1% |
SAM
Segment breakdown not available.
