CHANDLER — At various times over the next month, football and mixed martial arts fans will be cheering for their favorite athletes while enjoying tasty food and drink on the corner of McQueen Road and Pecos Road.
Not on the actual corner, mind you, but inside BKD’s Backyard Joint. The sports bar and restaurant offers a wide variety of hearty dishes, much of it made by a chef on-site, along with drinks of all kinds and plenty of big screens to enjoy sports of many types.
In addition to offering UFC events at no charge to customers and many NFL games, BKD chef Mark Coakley prepares far more than the usual wings and other traditional bar items, though those are delicious and filling.
From appetizers like the fajita quesadilla to entrees that include several pastas, barbecue dishes and steaks, Coakley was brought in by the three ownership partners to use fresh ingredients.
It helps that many regulars know the staff by first name as well, as Coakley regularly comes out into the dining area to chat with customers.
“We try to let people know who they servers and bartenders are, and who’s in the kitchen,” Coakley said. “And when you can combine good food, good ingredients with good service, you’ll get a lot of repeat neighborhood business that way.”
Kelly Cooper, along with partners Brandon Sirochman and Dan Arndt, opened BKD’s in January 2019 in a part of Chandler that Cooper says was underserved by the kind of neighborhood sports bar where personal connections were important.
“Those personal connections make all the difference,” Cooper said.
Cooper, who also owns the Melting Pot fondue restaurants in Ahwatukee and Glendale, said having Coakley in the kitchen and out in the dining room was key during COVID-19 and as restrictions ended. He said it took a while to establish the truly family atmosphere that’s not easy to achieve at a sports bar and restaurant.
“We have all the TV packages that allow us to show the pro and college sports what people want,” Cooper said. “It was a process to identify who we are, who our clientele is and for our clientele to identify us. That took about a year. We didn’t want too aggressive of a crowd, especially since we show UFC events for free. We didn’t want the kind of people that are going to come in here picking fights. Some people who didn’t fit in our environment slowly were discouraged.”
Cooper said identifying the correct menu and working with a career chef like Coakley, once he came on board, helped establish what types of fresh ingredients needed to be consistently ordered. He said partnerships and networking, be it through chambers of commerce or trade associations, allow BKD’s to use a variety of vendors and attempt to avoid bottlenecks and other supply-chain interruptions or backlogs.
He said Coakley has such a broad background and diverse experience, BKD’s has only had to call upon part of his experience to get the kind of home-style dishes from him that sports bar customers enjoy. Meatloaf is one example; so is the prime rib served on Sundays.
One of the “Backyard wings” sauce options is a garlic-Parmesan combination that’s delicious.
The bar also has a wide variety of beers and other beverages.
Cooper said adjusting to COVID-19 community needs involved changing the ratio of carry-out business compared to dine-in and creating more space in dining areas. Rigorous cleaning was already an important component of the restaurant before the pandemic, he said.
“We like to be as comfortable as we can,” Cooper said. “We don’t have as dense of a dining area as you might find some places.”
Cooper said taking care of guests and are in front of someone who’s having a great time is what keeps him wanting to strive to do better for customers.
“You gotta like people to be in a people business,” he said. “You can get into the profits and all the other stuff about restaurants, but if your heart isn’t into being around people and keeping them happy, you’re not going to be as successful in this business.”
Open at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sundays, BKD’s is open until 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights. BKD’s can be found online at bkdsbackyard.com or the Facebook page “BKD’s Backyard Joint.” Located at 980 E. Pecos Road, BKD’s can be reached at 480-935-2537.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent @JasonWBrooks2
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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