Designed to be the largest eatery in the Yard House restaurant chain, the two-level restaurant is slated to encompass 19,000 sf with a guest capacity of 700. The San Diego location will be housed in an early 20th century building and will feature an exclusive, upscale lounge, which is a first for the chain.

Aside from those unique features, the new restaurant will closely resemble the other Yard House eateries, according to Harald Herrmann, president and COO of Yard House Restaurants LLC. It will incorporate the chain's signature elements of a lofty design, original artwork and an oval bar with 125 taps of beer.

The Yard House, slated to open its doors in February 2003, will become the fifth eatery in the chain. The LLC's flagship restaurant, which launched in December 1996, stands along the Long Beach waterfront at Shoreline Village, while the three other restaurants are located in Costa Mesa, Irvine and Rancho Mirage. Yard House Restaurants LLC also owns Tequila Jack's in Long Beach.