HERRIMAN, Utah, Dec. 6, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Bryan Ellison is hoping next Wednesday’s annual Food Drive Luncheon with Herriman’s Compassion Community Center will cost him a good chunk of cash.
And maybe stack upon stack of canned corn, green beans, stuffing, rice and other food staples.
That’s because Ellison and wife Jaime, who own the Redemption Bar & Grill, have agreed for the third consecutive year to match monetary and food donations from patrons and other Herriman residents this holiday season.
The food and funds will be donated to the food pantry of Herriman’s Compassion Community Center, delivered by the Herriman WFH (Work From Home) group, launched a few years back by Herriman’s now mayor, Lorin Palmer.
“Bryan is throwing some incentives to match donations this year,” Palmer told Gephardt Daily. “We’re hoping to get at least three truckloads of food. We are so appreciative of Bryan. He’s really stepped up, even on top of what we are doing, to be a great partner for the community.”
Members from Herriman WFH, a networking, open-to-all community business group that meets weekly to dine out and support local eateries, will be on hand Wednesday at Redemption’s fundraising luncheon to donate much needed groceries, not to mention cash.
But Herriman WFH and the Ellisons hope to fill all of Redemption Bar & Grill’s seats with donors who feel inspired to bring food or monetary donations to help those in need, and to order the lunch of their choice from the grill’s menu.
Then to have Redemption match the food and funds to double the benefits to the Compassion Community Center’s food bank.
The Ellisons
Bryan Ellison said that since they opened the three-story bar/grill/entertainment venue in June of 2020, he and Jaime have looked for ways to pay back their adopted community. They considered several cities as locations, but ultimately chose Herriman because of the people who help manage the city day-to-day.
“Herriman never pushed me,” he said. “The other cities tried to push me to go there, but Herriman just seemed like family, if you will. They did everything in their power to help me when we opened. They did everything in their power to promote us to be successful.”
Especially when the bar and grill opened and was immediately closed, like all Utah dine-in establishments, which were ordered closed to help curb the spread of COVID.
“We opened dead center during COVID. We took every punch you could get,” Ellison said.
But once COVID eased, and the mandate was lifted, Ellison was proud he could welcome patrons to a bar, the likes of which few Utahns had seen before.
3 levels, 3 themes
“Most all local bars and eateries are all on one level,” he said. “They’re just kind of simple,” he said. “We wanted to have multiple levels with multiple themes when we did it, and make this place a destination.”
Like the island-themed bar and tiki bar on the top floor.
“My wife and I got married in Maui, so we’re island people, if you will. Our favorite place to be is on the beach or on the lake, and the tiki bar reflects that feeling, including the swings, which line the bar,” Ellison said.
The basement has an altogether different vibe. It’s an intimate entertainment venue where Redemption hosts top notch comedians, great music acts, including dance DJs. Up-and-coming country/rock singer Whitney Lusk, the Spanish Fork native who’s getting famous in Nashville, just recently sold out her gig at Redemption.
“That’s the second time that’s happened,” Ellison said with a smile. “We’re pretty sure she’ll be coming back.”
Redemption’s main floor has two themes.
One is a sports bar, where the walls are decorated with memorabilia, including framed autographed jerseys by the likes of Kobe Bryant and Patrick Mahomes. There are also TV screens every few feet which feature all the top pro and college sporting events, as well as championship MMA matches, and other sporting venues.
Show up any weekend and you’ll be making the scene with a whole bunch of happy, noisy, fun loving sports fans. The party starts in the morning and goes all day, and into the night. Not only do you get to enjoy great sporting events, you get to enjoy great food and drinks.”
Honoring heroes who serve
There’s also a distinct patriot theme that’s felt throughout the three-story complex, one that celebrates and honors members of the military, as well as local first responders.
“I’m patriotic, almost to a fault,” Ellison said. “So the main level is all around servicemen and women, because I feel they deserve that recognition. I’m not a good enough human to actually be in the service. But those guys and gals — police officers, firefighters, all of those serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines — without them, we wouldn’t have what we have.”
A common practice for those who serve in the military or as first responders is to pull out challenge coins as a game, to playfully determine who will pay the bill, Ellison said. The coins are related to rank, and the challenge demands that the owner of the coin with the lowest rank pay the group tab.
Except that Ellison created his own challenge coins, which patrons can purchase for $10 each and donate them to the bar or to service men and women they may encounter. The bearers gets $10 off their Redemption bill.
“My goal was that service men and women never pay for anything in Redemption,” Ellison said. “So the service men and women come in and they’re at a table, and let’s say their bill is $40 or $38 — we go grab four coins out and say, ‘Hey, you know, your meal’s taken care of by our patrons.’ So it’s our patrons paying it forward to our service men and women, which they don’t expect, but they really feel appreciated.”
He said that eight out of 10 times, “those service men and women will turn around and buy four more. So two people can buy the challenge points and leave them there. Somebody comes in with a service, and we use those and take care of the next bill. It’s like a gift card. Or you can buy them and take them with you. And it’s, it’s pretty rewarding. It gives me goosebumps. I see service men and women at Home Depot or the grocery store somewhere, I’ll walk up and shake their hand and tell them thank you for what they do, and hand them a challenge coin.”
The money from challenge coin purchases goes into a separate account for helping those in need, such as buying a wheelchair for someone who can’t get around without one.
Legacy of giving and the spirit of Redemption
Ellison, who also owns West Valley Collision, says he also has been fortunate enough to help others in the community by donating about six refurbished cars to area schools over the past few years, and the schools have gifted them to students who excel or are in especially dire need. He and Jaime also have quietly paid school fees for those in urgent need when schools alert them.
Ellison also coached sports for years at Herriman High School.
“Some of the biggest influences in my life were my coaches,” he said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without my coaches. And any time I can help in the community, I try and do my best.”
But Ellison is not only grateful to his coaches. He also reveres the lessons and the values instilled by his mother, step-father, and his father, who he says not only forged his work ethic, but also taught him the importance of helping others.
“I don’t care if you’re a multi-millionaire or you’re broke, every one of us has problems. Everyone needs a little redemption, whether it’s with an ex-wife, an ex-boss, a former friend, you know, whatever it is. Redemption is a chance to get away and take a break.”
Redemption’s Food Drive Luncheon, Dec. 11
The chance for donors to offer redemption to those who may go hungry during the holidays and beyond is at hand, courtesy of the Herriman WFH Food Drive Luncheon. It’s at noon Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Redemption Bar & Grill, 3517 W. Maradona Drive, Herriman. The Compassion Community Center food bank is hoping for donations such as canned fruits and vegetables, canned or fresh meats, rice and pasta, or canned or dried milk.
Those who can’t make the luncheon but still want to contribute can donate funds by using the QR code on the poster, below, or by dropping a bag or box of food by the bar between now and the luncheon.
Those who donate a bag of food early can get a free mac n’ cheese balls appetizer with the purchase of a meal at Redemption.
And remember, the more generous you are, the more donations Redemption Bar & Grill will match and the more families will be helped.
Redemption Bar & Grill is a proud sponsor of Gephardt Daily and supporter of independent local journalism in Utah
