Yard House

Yard House

Yard House is a popular American sports bar chain, known for its extensive menu of American fusion cuisine and its wide variety of draft beers. The chain was founded in 1996 in Long Beach, California by Steele Platt and co-founders Tom Yelenick, William Wollrab and Steve Reynolds. The name "Yard House" originates from the "yard" glass, a very tall beer glass.

History

Steele Platt, a Denver native, moved to Southern California after losing his oil industry job in the 1980s recession. He attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and then moved to Los Angeles to work in the restaurant industry. He, along with his partners, designed the concept of Yard House in 1996. The first Yard House was opened in Long Beach, California, in December 1996.

Concept

The Yard House concept features a center island bar and a countless number of flat screen televisions. However, the brand's primary focus is its draft beer offering. Each location features a transparent keg room, which houses more than 600 barrels, some 1,000 gallons of beer, and an endless fleet of tap handles - more than 100 to 250, depending on the location.

Menu

The Yard House menu features a variety of dishes, including appetizers, pizza, salad, seafood, steak, sandwiches, grilled burgers, street tacos, and desserts. The restaurant also offers a separate menu for kids and a gluten-sensitive menu.

Locations

As of 2020, Yard House operates over 80 locations across the United States, in states such as California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, among others. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, which also owns other chains such as Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and The Capital Grille.

See also

• List of restaurant chains in the United States
• Darden Restaurants
• Sports bar