Historic Downtown Sanford continues to grow! Among the several upcoming venues set to take #Sanfording even further is “The Yardery – Sanford’s New Outdoor Dining, Drinking, and Playing Experience.” The concept? An open-air, fast casual, spending time in the backyard playing games venue coming in early 2021 that is tailor made for the “new normal.”
The Yardery will be located next to Best Fish Chicken And Wings, across from the JALY Supermarket on East 4th and be a fully fenced venue offering outdoor bar and table service. Bring your sense of fun because this backyard is going to be full of exciting family games, a fire pit, and a tire swing among other offerings.
Property owner Bernie Huckestein is also a known bagel aficionado and will have blistering, fresh, gourmet bagels popping out of his wood stove oven at 7:00 AM daily. His partner, Suzanne Bonham, was the one who first brought Urban Flats to Central Florida, and has spent the last several years consulting for Disney Springs; she looks to “add a few sprinkles of pixie dust” to the project and is excited about the location.
“We love Sanford,” said Bonham, “and chose to be here and to be part of the growth.” Bonham notes that Winter Garden was actively recruiting this project and that she and Bernie also discussed Clermont. “But Bernie is a Sanford local, and I visit often. With the Riverwalk expansion underway and the constant growth (downtown), this was the right location.”
Huckestein agrees and said that he is “optimistic about Sanford’s future. Sanford has a restaurant scene known around Central Florida. We intend to help maintain the buzz. We envision something walkable, family-orientated, and pleasurable; what we offer is a trip to the backyard.”
The Yardery’s plans call for a 2232 SF restaurant space with a covered dining & kitchen/service area. The kitchen will take up approximately 1000 SF of this with the remainder being a covered patio with wooden high-top tables. There will be an outdoor bar with eight bartops, and Huckestein and Bonham intend to collaborate with their neighbors Wops Hops Brewing Co. and Sanford Brewing Co. on the creation of specialty house beers, available only at The Yardery.
The partners expect to begin clearing the land in 2020 and constructing a brown building with a green tin roof, lined along the perimeter with fencing – parts of which will flip down to provide game tables. The game areas will be covered by astroturf, and away from those (games, attractions, activities), families may enjoy both a firepit area and the tire swing hanging from the large oak tree which will remain on the lot. Can you say “family photo op?”
Huckestein stated that The Yardery’s business model is “to provide a new style of outdoor and covered dining experience consistent with the “new normal” by providing a small group and open-air setting. An open space where families can roam around.”
The menu will specialize in backyard fare consistent with this concept, offering patrons burgers, ribs, BBQ, and trays. They anticipate being open 7 days a week, from 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM.
