Dave & Buster’s, the popular family-friendly chain that features a sports bar and arcade games, could be opening its first Lehigh Valley location in Whitehall Township by the holidays, township officials said last week.

The 4.5-acre site next to the Lehigh Valley Mall, along MacArthur Road, just past the exit of Route 22, has already been razed.

Developers are eager to start construction on the 30,000-plus-square-foot entertainment/dining complex, said Lee Rackus, bureau chief of the township’s planning, zoning and development.

“All of the building permits have been applied for, and they have everything ready to go,” Rackus said. “They are really pushing and have a tight schedule.”

It will be the seventh Dave & Buster’s in Pennsylvania. The next closest site is in Plymouth Meeting in Montgomery County. There are other locations in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

Dave & Buster’s, which was founded in 1982 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, currently has 130 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. The fast-growing company has already opened 10 new locations, the most recent one in Virginia in July.

The Lehigh Valley location, at 1457 MacArthur Road, will be on the former site of the Friendly’s and Wendy’s restaurants and an office building that once housed the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, all of which have been torn down. Friendly’s closed in December, and Wendy’s has moved to a new site at 2741 MacArthur Road.

Whitehall Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. lauded the project coming to the mall, saying it will be “an attraction throughout the region.”

The chain has proved to be a popular destination where patrons can eat, drink, watch sports on big screens and play arcade games - all in one location.

“It’s a real coup for Lehigh Valley Mall,” Rackus agreed. “This will be a great addition, and I’m sure it will do well.”

The new restaurant and entertainment hub will feature hundreds of arcade games, including new multiplayer virtual reality, a state-of-the-art sports bar featuring large HDTV screens and a full menu.

Dave & Buster’s lists the Lehigh Valley as a location on its online careers page, although no job opportunities are yet listed. Previous locations have added around 200 jobs.

In a June 11 Dave & Buster’s news release, Brian Jenkins, chief executive officer, reported the company was “on track to open 15 to 16 new locations” in 2019, and as of June 4, there were eight stores under construction.

“Dave & Buster’s is a clear leader in its category with an excellent track record and a long runway for growth,” Scott Bowman, chief financial officer, said in the release.