Larry Pollack, Founder and President of Saddle Ranch Chop House, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and began mapping out his lifelong career goals at an extremely young age.  Very early on, Larry developed a strong interest in the restaurant/bar business.  Between his first job and the time that he opened his first restaurant, Larry worked in every aspect imaginable of the restaurant, bar and nightclub industry.  From working the graveyard shift on the line of a burger joint to numerous other positions including food delivery, bartending, serving, promotions and business development, management and everywhere in between, Larry mastered the ins and outs of the business.  Larry opened his very first restaurant, an Irish pub/sports bar, on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1996.  The pub became a huge hit with locals and visitors alike, and Larry quickly began contemplating his next venture.  In 1998, Larry opened a rock-n-roll sushi bar on the same famous street, which also quickly proved to be a great success. 

Standing outside his three story sushi bar in 1998, Larry saw three hot females walking toward him wearing jeans, tank tops, cowboy hats and boots; a sight that was then not too often seen on California’s Sunset Strip.  Little did these three women know when they left their houses that night, they would not only be the focus of every man’s attention, but they would become the inspiration for an extremely successful business. 

Larry, already a well known restaurateur by that time, was ready for his next great concept, and these three L.A. cowgirls were the inspiration he’d been waiting for.  Larry wondered, when all across the United States, country bars and western music were staples of everyday life, why was Los Angeles not getting in on the action?  Larry, never a man to pass up a challenge, decided to bring that western mentality to L.A. with a twist, and make his next restaurant a place where “rock meets western”.  His vision was a rustic, ranch-style building constructed of wood and stone and a large outdoor patio with stone campfire pits.  Western memorabilia and faux balconies with props and décor would resemble those of an Old West saloon.  Larry wanted to create a destination restaurant, where unlike most restaurants, people would come for a great meal and stay long after their plates had been cleared to experience the fun with friends and family." Larry wanted his patrons to feel like they were dining at a friend’s table with home-style cooking and down-home hospitality.  Larry would place an over-sized, oval-shaped bar in the middle of the dining room and a large mechanical bull ring amidst the booths and tables to give that extra western-something.  And, so construction began on the first Saddle Ranch Chop House, despite contrary advice from nearly every person Larry came in contact with.  No matter how many times Larry explained the concept of the high energy, rock-western chophouse, he continued to hear, “A country western restaurant on Sunset Blvd?  It will never work.” and “People in Los Angeles just aren’t into the whole cowboy thing.”  Luckily, Larry didn’t listen and during the final stages of construction, just weeks shy of the grand opening, a funny thing started happening.  Singers like Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes and Faith Hill started crossing over from country charts and climbing their way up the pop charts. Every magazine you opened showed celebrities in cowboy hats and trucker caps.  Country western had suddenly become entwined in pop culture, and the stage was set for the blending of country western and rock-n-roll. 

Saddle Ranch Chop House opened its doors on the world famous Sunset Strip in September of 1999, to rave reviews, tons of press, and hoards of people lining up to chow down on the delicious Saddle Ranch cuisine and ride the only mechanical bull in Los Angeles.  From the second it opened for business, the Saddle Ranch concept was a huge success and a show biz favorite.  Television shows, books and magazines began developing story lines around the restaurant almost immediately. In its first seven years in business, Saddle Ranch and its infamous mechanical bull have been featured on countless shows including Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Six Feet Under, and numerous more.  Saddle Ranch became a brand known nationwide, even among people who had never been to Los Angeles. 

The second Saddle Ranch Chop House opened for business at Universal Citywalk, Hollywood in May of 2003, and has also been widely recognized for its success.  Landlords and developers nationwide (and outside of the U.S. for that matter) began taking note and showing strong interest in the Saddle Ranch concept.  The third Saddle Ranch Chop House is now open in The Legends at Village West next to the Kansas City Speedway, in Kansas City, Kansas. The fourth Saddle Ranch opened its doors on Saturday January 12, 2008 in Old Town Scottsdale.  The next Saddle Ranch is set to open in the heart of Glendale, Arizona and there are additional stores in development in Wichita, Kansas and Reno, Nevada.

Saddle Ranch is in the midst of a whirlwind expansion, and with the undeniable success of its current stores, is looking forward to an outstanding future.  Saddle Ranch is currently seeking exciting new locations for 2008, 2009 and beyond.  Larry plans on sharing the Saddle Ranch experience with patrons nationwide.