Sports bar BKD’s Backyard Joint to open Jan. 17 in Chandler

BKD’s Backyard Joint, a new sports bar and grill from the owners of the Valley’s three Melting Pot fondue restaurants, will open Thursday, Jan. 17, on the northwest corner of McQueen and Pecos in Chandler.

It takes over former neighborhood grill Hangar 9, which closed in November. Before that, the strip-mall space housed McDuffy’s Grille.

According to BKD’s marketing director, an official ‘‘scheduled grand opening’’ will be held Jan. 25.

The concept checks all the requisite boxes for a modern-day sports bar:

• Scratch kitchen
• 24 beers on tap, including lots of locals
• 34 hi-def TVs, most 75- or 60-inchers
• A full array of TV sports packages
• A large patio with plenty of games

What sets BKD’s apart from most sports bars will be the 120-inch TV – maybe the biggest in the East Valley – that covers most of one wall.

More details to come next week.