food and beverage revenues, increased 30 basis points to 26.0% for the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 from 25.7% for the thirty-nine weeks ended October 29, 2017. The increase in cost of food and beverage as a percentage of revenue was driven by higher meat costs resulting from our upgraded burger product, higher commodity costs in our poultry and potato items as well as the impact of our largernon-comparable store group, partially offset by increases in food and beverage prices.
Cost of amusement and other increased to $60,248 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $50,481 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017. The costs of amusement and other, as a percentage of amusement and other revenues increased 60 basis points to 11.1% for the thirty-nine weeks ended November 4, 2018 from 10.5% for the thirty-nine weeks ended October 29, 2017. This increase was due primarily to a $2,531, or 50 basis point, amusement cost reduction in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017, for the favorable settlement of a multi-year use tax audit by the state of Texas. This cost reduction represents the excess use tax on redemption items during the period from July 2011 through January 2017.
Operating payroll and benefits
Total operating payroll and benefits increased by $30,329, or 16.2%, to $217,939 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $187,610 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017. This increase was primarily due to labor associated with additional operating store weeks of ournon-comparable stores. The total cost of operating payroll and benefits, as a percent of total revenues, increased 80 basis points to 23.3% for the thirty-nine weeks ended November 4, 2018 from 22.5% in the thirty-nine weeks ended October 29, 2017. This increase was primarily due to an hourly wage rate increase of approximately 4%, incremental amusement labor related to our new proprietary virtual reality platform and unfavorable leverage on decreased comparable store sales.
Other store operating expenses
Other store operating expenses increased by $36,769, or 14.8%, to $284,432, in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $247,663 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017, primarily due to new store openings. Other store operating expenses, as a percentage of total revenues, increased 90 basis points to 30.5% in the thirty-nine weeks ended November 4, 2018 compared to 29.6% in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017. This increase was due primarily to unfavorable leverage of our occupancy costs on decreased comparable store sales and increased margin pressure on occupancy costs associated with our recent store openings.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by $289, or 0.6%, to $45,461 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $45,172 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017. Increases in labor and professional services costs were partially offset by the absence of a prior year $2,550 charge for litigation settlement costs and lower incremental compensation costs related to our share-based awards. General and administrative expenses, as a percentage of total revenues, decreased 50 basis points to 4.9% in the thirty-nine weeks ended November 4, 2018 compared to 5.4% in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017, for the same reasons above offset by favorable leverage on revenue increases.
Depreciation and amortization expense
Depreciation and amortization expense increased by $12,682, or 17.0%, to $87,129 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $74,447 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017. Increased depreciation due to our 2017 and 2018 capital expenditures for new stores, operating initiatives, including remodels, games and maintenance capital, was partially offset by other assets reaching the end of their depreciable lives.
Pre-opening costs
Pre-opening costs increased by $2,495 to $17,121 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $14,626 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017 due primarily to the number and timing of new store openings and stores in development.
Interest expense, net
Interest expense, net increased by $3,333 to $9,406 in the thirty-nine week period ended November 4, 2018 compared to $6,073 in the thirty-nine week period ended October 29, 2017 due primarily to higher variable interest rates and an increase in average outstanding debt.
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