When it comes to family-friendly beer-centric venues, few, if any, local venues hold a candle to My Yard Live Beer Co. Opened in 2018 by Mark McLarry and Jamie Minotti, a duo who previously owned and operated the country’s largest solar-powered sound, stage and lighting company, the 17,500-square-foot brewpub was designed to offer an all-around experience, ranging from high-quality food and house beers to fun, games and entertainment for guests of all ages. To facilitate the latter, the duo installed a full-scale arcade and stage area indoors, while building out three distinct, side yards comprising 7,500 additional square feet offering shuffleboard, outdoor event space and a kids’ area with an impressive tree-like play structure designed by the same company that built Tom Sawyer’s Island at Anaheim’s Disneyland.
Over the past half-decade, bands of all genres have played My Yard Live, and the venue has hosted events for all manner of groups, non-profits and charities. On the beer side, style-spanning brews from Head Brewer Ben “Shaggy” Blaney have medaled at some of the world’s most prestigious competitions. That list of award-winners includes a West Coast Pilsner from the 4DUDESBREW series of beers produced in collaboration with a pair of My Yard Live employees and their lifelong friends, all of whom have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sales from those beers have been donated to numerous local charity organizations over the past three years.
It’s safe to say that McLarry’s and Minotti’s vision has been realized on all fronts. They say it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fulfilling, which makes it that much harder for them to announce that they will be closing the brewpub next week.
“While business was off the charts when we opened our doors in 2019, everything changed nine months later. The pandemic created a very challenging start and the rising costs of goods, utilities, insurance and doing business in California has made it difficult to continue our mission and deliver the truly authentic experience we were striving for internally,” says Minotti. “Our model of service delivery, menu, entertainment and beer has adjusted as was needed, and while continuing to change that may have helped us continue to survive, it became clear we weren’t going to be able to deliver in a way that would align with what the very essence of the concept and why it was created.”
While McLarry and Minotti had intended to go solo, building My Yard Live with funds from the sale of their aforementioned business, they found a partner in the City of San Marcos, which owns their building, previously the longtime home to a HomeTown Buffet. That municipal body has been supportive of numerous craft-beer projects over the past decade, including, most recently, a beer garden from Karl Strauss Brewing. But it wasn’t just the local government that was behind the business.
“The San Marcos community has been at the heart of My Yard Live from day one. San Marcos always showed up through ups and downs, especially during the challenging times like the pandemic,” says McLarry, referring in part to reopening the business after it lay fully dormant for seven months before reopening in March 2021. “Their loyalty and encouragement have been the driving force behind everything we do and have allowed us to give back to the community at the level we did.”
“The City of San Marcos is sad to see My Yard Live close after five wonderful years of serving our citizens,” says City of San Marcos Economic Development Director Tess Sangster. “My Yard Live went above and beyond to partner and give back to our community.”
Minotti says that, because of the community’s support, My Yard Live has reinvested over $100,000 back into the North County community, supporting a variety of causes from medical-bill assistance for cancer treatments to assisting at-risk youth to supporting local schools and sports leagues. But, as evidenced by the 4DUDESBREW effort, helping people with special needs was a particular passion project. In addition to employing individuals with disabilities, My Yard Live established partnerships with several school districts and a regional center to provide work internships. Taking on such initiatives added complications to the day-to-day, but ownership says their employees were up to the task.
“I cannot thank our staff and the San Marcos community enough. They were the ones who brought this vision to life,” says McLarry. “This was never just a brewpub; it was a community center. With that came its challenges as there were many moving parts, but our staff always worked with us to adapt and evolve as we constantly aimed to improve the model. They never complained. They understood. We were all part of something special and different. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but I can’t leave without feeling like we created something truly amazing.”
My Yard Live will maintain normal operating hours until its last day of business on Friday, November 15. No decision has been made as to the future of the site or its assets, as discussions are ongoing between McLarry, Minotti and the City of San Marcos, but interested parties are welcomed to make inquiries via email.
My Yard Live Beer Co. is located at 288 Rancheros Drive in San Marcos