Bradenton restaurant known for ‘Barnyard Betty’ chicken sandwich has a new location
When sisters Ciliana Pluviose and Gladys Jean introduced their gourmet chicken sandwich, the Barnyard Betty, while working from home in 2018, it was an immediate hit with customers.
Encouraged by the success of that sandwich, they took their business, The Barnyard, up several notches and expanded their menu and their customer base when they moved into the Oneco Farmers Market in 2020.
The move raised their profile and provided a learning experience, including developing systems for smoothly getting food from the kitchen to the guests.
“It taught us how to market ourselves, how to stand out. We had to learn everything,” Pluviose said.
But the day came when Pluviose and Jean knew that in order to grow their business, they would need to leave the farmers market.
Just a month ago, after closing their operation in Oneco, they reopened in the Gloryway Plaza shopping center, 624 Martin Luther King Ave. W., also known as Ninth Avenue West.
The Barnyard finds new Bradenton home
The restaurant’s old customers have followed them to their new location, which has also added new fans.
“We have a big word-of-mouth following,” Pluviose said. “We are doing twice the volume we did before. The business we’re doing is a fraction of what we can do.”
The success of The Barnyard goes back to the lessons the sisters learned from their grandmother years ago, and a combined three decades of working for others in the restaurant business.
Their new 28-seat restaurant offers a quieter, more comfortable setting and more pleasant dining experience for guests, they say.
A popular chicken sandwich
While there is more on The Barnyard’s menu than chicken sandwiches, the Barnyard Betty is a good place to start.
They marinate chicken breasts for 24 hours “in a house blend sauce made in secret” and skillfully spice and fry it, producing a chicken sandwich better than any of the chains, the sisters say.
“It’s very flavorful, and balanced in flavor,” Pluviose said.
Also on the menu, are a variety of baskets, including shrimp, the Barnyard Betty, the Smash Burger (half pound of fresh ground beef, topped with bacon, American and Swiss cheese, on a bed of crisp lettuce), wings, chicken tenders and a wrap basket. Basket prices start at about $10.
Also on the menu are kids meals, salads and sides like double crunch fries and sweet potato cinnamon fries.
For dessert, there is strawberry New York cheesecake.
What customers are saying
This week, The Barnyard saw a steady stream of take-out orders for lunch, and more sit-down guests for dinnertime.
Customers couldn’t say enough good things about their food.
“The chicken wrap is amazing. The seasonings and the flavor,” Stan Roden said.
Mike Bollock was touting the Smash Burger.
“I love good burgers, and the Smash Burger is juicy and flavorful,” Bollock said.
Herbie Myrtil came in for a Smash Burger and fries, ate it in the parking lot and came back 10 minutes later for wings, fries and a drink.
Looking to the future, The Barnyard is still hiring cooks for the restaurant and for a brand-new food truck they would like to get on the road this year.
What to know
▪ Name: The Barnyard
▪ Address: 624 Martin Luther King Ave. W., Bradenton
▪ Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday
▪ Catering: Yes
▪ Takeout: Yes
▪ Phone: (941) 896-8760
▪ Online: https://www.BarnyardBetty.com/
This story was originally published March 28, 2024, 5:50 AM.
