A San Antonio eatery, Backyard on Broadway, transforms from a struggling small venue into a thriving 600-seat destination, gaining a national spotlight.
SAN ANTONIO — A local restauarant’s comeback story will be featured on a national streaming show featuring restaurants from across the country.
America’s Best Restaurant, a national media and restaurant marketing company will feature Backyard on Broadway in an upcoming episode. The crew from ABR Roadshow was at the restaurant this week.
ABR Roadshow travels around the country highlighting independently-owned restaurants that make a meaningful impact in their communities. For this episode, the show will share Backyard on Broadway’s unique story of transformation and ties to the San Antonio area.
The restaurant originally opened in 2008, but underwent a majr change when new ownership took over in November 2020, which was right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the restaurant could seat around 40 people and had a large, unused outdoor space. It was also losing nearly $70,000 per month in costs. The new owner saw potential in the unused space and took a chance on bringing a new concept to the location.
“We’re not trying to be fancy or something we’re not,” Owner Ohio Crawford said. “This is a place where kids can run around, parents can relax, and no one’s getting attitude from the staff. Take care of your people, source your food right, and the guests show up.”
Backyard on Broadway completely rebuilt the space from the ground up. The restaurant expanded into a 600-seat, mostly outdoor venue complete with a children’s play area.
During the ABR Roadshow visit, featured dishes will include the PB+J Pizza, Juicy Luci, and Cobb Salad, all made in-house using locally sourced ingredients.
The episode premiere date will be announced on Backyard on Broadway’s Facebook page and featured on the America’s Best Restaurants website.