The Yard is serving chicken and beer in Brentwood

To convert an old gas station into a restaurant, Alyssa and Anthony Roost first had to figure out what to do with the pumps.

The easy choice was to get rid of them. But they had hopes of keeping the integrity of the space. So they kept the overhang and built around the concrete, turning the pump area into an island bar where customers could enjoy a cocktail in the fresh air.

Around it, they added picnic tables and umbrellas, string lights and televisions, and turned the old gas station at 200 Oak Street into The Yard, a chicken-and-beer quick-eat location that’ll make Brentwood neighbors feel like they’re at a block party.

The Yard opened in late September and has been packed ever since, said Alyssa Roost.

“The focus is just for families to have a place to connect and hang out and it’s been awesome,” she said. “You see mom and dad meeting grandma and grandpa to get a burger. People are running into their neighbors. It’s very community driven. It’s just what we wanted it to be to bring that community together.

“Even on our rules sign, we say, ‘love your neighbor.’ It really worked.”

The Roosts already have two restaurants in Brentwood, Vine and Grain, a wine bar, and Attraversiamo, a new American restaurant. Both spots are well-reviewed with 4.5 stars on Google. And both cater to adults.

Raising a 4-year-old child, the Roosts wanted something built for families.

“We wanted a place to go have a burger or a cocktail while our little guy had space to roam around,” Alyssa said.

At The Yard, the expansive outdoor space provides ample room for children. The menu is kid-friendly, too: burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and french fries.

“This menu is short and sweet,” Alyssa said. “We’d rather do a small menu really well than have 50 menu items.”

A liberty smash burger features special sauce, pickles, grilled onions and American cheese on a potato bun, while the chicken sandwich is hand-breaded to order, “a foreign thing in the sandwich world,” Roost said.