09/07/2023
From the Founder:
I owned & operated Kirkyard for almost nine years.
The bar opened Dec 18, 2013 after a lot of time and effort and a big chunk of my savings & restaurant experience were poured into what I hoped would become the local spot in a cool neighborhood.
Community tables and big HDTVs welcomed expectant customers. We served pub food with a couple of healthy-adjacent options and local craft on draft.
Kirkyard made it through Snowmageddon I & II, World Cup, a Falcon's Superbowl letdown and UGA championship loss as well as my birds raising the Lombardi Trophy. (Fly Eagles Fly)
Then there was COVID. When we closed for a few weeks rent was deferred from understanding landlords, a GoFundMe and PPP for the staff and EIDL loans helped with everything else.
We reopened and quickly transitioned from ToGo - to outside only - to normal service. We were back!
My consulting business was growing and demanding more of my time as was my family as my son got a baby sister. I needed to move on and in May of 2022 a neighborhood regular wanted a turnkey opportunity into the restaurant business. Wanted to keep Kirkyard as Kirkyard. Had support and finances to do it…… Win - Win right?
Lots of speculation online regarding what happened. It's all of it is wrong: Don't believe the hype.
Restaurants are hard. Hard if you know what you are doing and everything goes your way. Supplier out of stocks; commodities pricing; online reviews; health inspections; credit card processing; liability, liquor & workers comp insurance; staffing shortages; escalating rent & CAM; arboricide from an overzealous HOA; broken HVAC; drugs & alcohol; money mismanagement: the list is long, distinguished, cliche.
The eviction process has completed and the Kirkyard Public House has closed. I know that something else will open out of the ashes and serve the neighborhood again.
I was glad to be able to pour myself one last beer the other night and reassure former staff that I'd give them a good reference to move on.
For everyone else, Cheers!
Dano Kirk
Founder - Kirkyard Public House
(Kirkyard ranch is mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, dried chives. You're welcome.)
