by TM Petaccia

On the ladder of advancement in the hospitality industry, Larisa Elizabeth Yanicak has touched every rung. A long-time favorite in Charlotte’s cocktail scene, she has been seen behind the stick at several of the city’s top cocktail destinations, including O-Ku and Backstage, most recently running the cocktail program as well as administrative duties at The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar — and was Charlotte’s “Whiskey Guardian” for Angel’s Envy.

For the past four months, however, Yanicak has moved from behind the bar and into the front office. She is the operations manager for OmShera Holdings, heretofore purely a commercial real estate specializing in hotels, such as Home2 Suites in Charlotte, Sun N Sand in Myrtle Beach, and the Wingate by Wyndham in Durham. Opening March 20 in South End, Blinders sports bar is the company’s first foray into the food and beverage space and the company is looking to the New Jersey native to lead the team.

“I’ve been a part of everything from start to finish,” Yanicak says. “I’ve been involved with the construction, which POS (point-of-sale) system to use, putting procedures in place, everything.”

While always seeking and adding creative and administrative duties in her past jobs, the opportunity to have this much control over a concept came out of the blue. “It was pure freaking chance,” she says. “I was working at Vintage, and my now boss, Kush Anandani, was having drinks with some friends. I guess I dazzled him or something because he asked if I was willing to consult on a new project. Five days later, we met in his office and talked for five hours. He cut me a consulting check and I went home. A week later, he calls and says, ‘I want to run something by you.’ After several more discussions, he offered me the job.”

Opening just in time for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Blinders will open its doors at noon on Thursday, March 20, running until midnight. The sports bar will open again at noon, Friday, March 21 and be open until 2 a.m. After that, regular hours will be Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from noon to 2 a.m., and Sunday from noon to midnight. Reservations are available and recommended for groups of five and above.

The focal point of the bar is a 60-foot-wide by 15-foot-tall multi-video wall with a high-end audio system. Blinders also features plush banquette-style seating, plus barstools at its 40-foot bar. The menu features elevated sportsbar food such as tater tot poutine, brined chicken wings, nachos, flatbreads, salads, and sliders.

“The vision is to have the look and feel of a Vegas sportsbook and the energy of a neighborhood sports bar,” Yanicak says.

As Blinders nears its opening day next week, Yanicak admits it’s all hands on deck, putting in the final touches, which includes her performing some well-familiar tasks. “At the beginning, most of the cocktails on the menu are mine, but we recently hired Chelsea Franklin to be the bar manager. I worked with her at O-Ku. I trained her myself so I know she’s very capable. I’m so proud of her. By the way, she got the job all on her own. I did not make any recommendations. I wanted everyone to see for themselves that she was ready. And she is. Once we get underway, the cocktail menu will be hers.”

Once open, Yanicak will devote much of her time seeing to operational duties such as payroll, financial reports, and other accounting tasks. “Other days, I’ll have meetings here with the managers, making sure things are running on a top level,” she says.

Joseph Rawlinson, formerly chef at Rally Pickleball and Morrison Healthcare, will be overseeing the kitchen while Mike Dial, formerly of The Suffolk Punch and Jinya Ramen Bar is the general manager.

One benefit Yanicak has already received in her new role is more personal time — a rarity in the industry. “I was very happy at Vintage. I loved working there. It was hard to leave,” she says. “This just sort of happened. But I realized I was tired of working late. Now, my health is better. I wake up at 6 a.m. I go to the gym or I go for a run. I’m training for the 10k bridge run. I get to make my own dinners, which I enjoy because I love cooking.”

Once Blinders is fully underway, Yanicak will start devoting more time to a new, yet unnamed food and beverage project for OmShera.

The biggest change for Yanicak … “I have my own office, in Ballantyne!”