Yard House Makes Its Riverside Debut at The Galleria at Tyler

Award-Winning Eatery Opens Its First Riverside Location; Dazzling Savvy Shoppers and Residents With Its American Fusion Fare and 130 Taps of Beer

Yard House, the popular eatery known for its great food, classic rock, and the world's largest selection of beer, opened its first Riverside location yesterday at The Galleria at Tyler. The 10,000-square-foot, freestanding restaurant, located beneath the center's new cinema complex, welcomed its first guests on Sunday for lunch, and crowds continued to pour in throughout the day for dinner and late-night dining.

"We're extremely excited to be part of the Riverside community," said Steele Platt, founder and CEO of the popular restaurant chain. "My partners and I are extremely fastidious when selecting a location. The Galleria at Tyler met all our needs. It's more than just a place to shop, it's a destination. We feel our concept will be a nice complement to the current tenant mix."

Yard House at The Galleria at Tyler boasts both indoor and outdoor dining with a guest capacity of nearly 450. The striking interior showcases a contrasting mix of warm woods, stainless steel accents, and original artwork by Southern California artist Jerome Gastaldi complete with a signature oval bar and fleet of 130 handles. The glass-enclosed keg room is essentially the pulse of the operation, and has the capability to house as much as 400 kegs and more than 1,000 gallons of beer at a time. More than three miles of steel beer lines stretch overhead from the keg room to the signature island bar, creating a rather intricate network in which to transport the chilled liquid. In addition, there is an assembly of individual pumps circulating as much as 2,000 gallons of coolant every hour in order to keep the beer consistently fresh and perfectly chilled.

Some two-dozen plasma screens are strategically placed throughout the restaurant so guests can enjoy the latest sporting or news events. The state-of-the-art sound system features a library of more than 5,000 hand-picked, digital titles of classic rock tunes with an eclectic mix of '70s disco hits and '80s new wave sounds. Original play lists are created daily from Platt's Newport Coast home then sent on to the restaurant via the Internet. The custom sound system is so sophisticated that Platt can instantly alter or reprogram the music to reflect the age and preference of guests.

"Music is as equally important as our food, beer and service," says Platt. "We take it very seriously. The one thing we don't want our guests to hear is the clatter of forks, knives and spoons, which is typical in other restaurants. We strive for our guests to have fun and truly enjoyable experience at Yard House." Platt added that a limited list of songs from Yard House's vast music selection can be downloaded and purchased at the company's website (www.yardhouse.com/music.asp) via iTunes.
Adding to the ambiance is a menu of American Fusion fare created by award-winning Executive Chef and Partner Carlito Jocson. With a nod to his Filipino heritage, many of Chef Jocson's dishes feature flavors of the Pacific Rim, which are then infused with more traditional fare. The menu, which boasts more than 100 items, includes a creative list of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, rice and pasta dishes, as well as steak and seafood. A prix fixe children's menu, printed on a 12-page activity book, features a selection of items found on the regular menu only served in age-appropriate portions and accompanied with a choice of side dishes, a Kustom Kooler and fresh fruit dessert bar.

Yard House will be closed on Christmas Day, but will welcome guests for a "come as you are" New Year's Eve where no reservations are needed and guests are served on a first come, first served basis. Guests can order a complete meal or stop in for drinks and appetizers on their way to or from another celebration. At midnight, complimentary hats, party favors and a glass of champagne will be given to all guests.

Platt and his partners, Jocson and Harald Herrmann, president and chief operating officer, recently sold 70 percent of Yard House to a private equity firm in order to expand the concept in more markets at a brisker pace. Within the next year, Yard House will open in Las Vegas, and downtown Los Angeles, and a new bar and grill concept is being readied for nearby Chino Hills. Yard House is open daily from 11am and features lunch, dinner, a weekday happy hour, and late-night dining. For more information, call Yard House at The Galleria at Tyler at 951.688.YARD(9273) or visit www.yardhouse.com.