Boardwalk Beer Hall Coming To Bally’s Atlantic City, Summer 2022 Opening Planned

Editor’s Note: This post is updated as of Feb. 28, 2022, with additional details and comments from a Bally’s Atlantic City press release.

A Bally’s Atlantic City press release confirms the new indoor/outdoor courtyard entertainment complex currently under construction now has a name. It will be called The Yard and it’s expected to debut in early summer 2022. The venue is inspired by Philadelphia and New York-style beer halls, Bally’s executives said.

Once finished, The Yard will be over 10,000 square feet, with more than 5,000 square feet of new construction.

“The modern industrial design and open-air space captures beautiful views from every angle in a park-like setting and designed to guarantee outstanding acoustics for live entertainment all year long. The Yard is a game-changer and an unmatched experience and must-see attraction for all guests visiting Atlantic City,” said Paul Juliano, senior vice president of operations at Bally’s Corporation.

Public documents detail a 5,100-square-foot enclosed beer hall with a retractable roof and glass walls that open.

The Yard is replacing the area once occupied by Harry’s Oyster Bar.

So what will The Yard look like?

Additional details regarding The Yard’s menu and live entertainment lineup are still to come.

However, the press release mentions “a gastro-pub style menu. a curated tap list featuring local and national brewers and craft cocktails.”

For now, here is a look at the renderings provided by Bally’s Atlantic City and Sosh Architects.

New look courtyard at Bally’s Atlantic City

Combined with the former restaurant space, the new beer hall will feature a full-service dining room and bar, blackjack tables, foosball and billiards, lounge areas and a 300-foot performance stage. The outdoor area will seat nearly 200 people around fire pits, cornhole boards, yard games and a 200-foot stage. The press release also teases 90’s themed arcade games.

The Yard is part of a $100 million reinvestment by Bally’s Corporation at the Atlantic City property. Other projects include hotel room and suite renovations, a new lobby bar and restaurants, a high-limit slot room and the FanDuel Sportsbook.

 

Live music on AC Boardwalk

Michael Monty, assistant general manager of Bally’s Atlantic City, testified last month during a land-use hearing. He said Bally’s Corporation is trying to “transform (Bally’s Atlantic City) to a more premier property in the market, to what it used to be back in the day.”

The courtyard beer hall’s location at the center of the Boardwalk will attract new and returning customers, he said.

“What they will be seeing, if all goes as planned in our vision, is an indoor/outdoor beer hall with live entertainment, featuring both local and regional bands, that will draw a crowd that’s both gaming and nongaming,” Monty said.

AC casinos are more than just gambling parlors

Today, Atlantic City casinos rely more heavily on non-gambling options for guests to generate revenue than in the past. The market’s highest-performing properties are more than just gambling halls — they are full-fledged resorts.

Bally’s Atlantic City is taking a cue from other casinos in town. It’s all part of a corporate effort to regain some of the property’s former glory.

“Ultimately, we see (the courtyard beer hall) as an introduction to our gaming amenities,” Monty said, “but there’s gonna be a crowd, as we’ve seen at some of our competitors, there’s a non-gaming crowd, that comes for this entertainment.”

Featured image AP Photo/Wayne Parry