LOGAN — Shellee Hoffman remembers well the difficulties her family faced when her older brother died unexpectedly.
"It was horrible," she said, "an absolute tragedy. Before my parents even had a chance to grieve the loss of their son, the bill collectors were already at the door with their hands outstretched."
They needed money for the casket, burial clothes and funeral expenses, Hoffman remembers 20 years later, and her parents didn't have it. "I never wanted that to happen to another family," she said. "And in this family, it never will."
Wearing a white polo shirt with her name embroidered in black, Hoffman is a proud new member of the Texas Roadhouse family. Hired to market the Logan location, which opened to a full house on Monday, Hoffman can't say enough about her new employer and its one-of-a-kind steakhouse.
"There's nothing like it anywhere in the country," she said. "I mean, have you ever heard of a restaurant that donates 100 percent of its profits to charity? Well, that's exactly what we're here to do."
A "dream come true" for managing partner Joel Barragan, the Logan Texas Roadhouse marks the 328th location nationwide and the seventh in Utah — a lucky seven for the company's 44,000 employees. The Logan restaurant was uniquely built to benefit the restaurateur's in-house charity, the Andy's Outreach Fund, and is the brainchild of Texas Roadhouse CEO G.J. Hart.
"When G.J. came to meet us last week, I just wanted to go up and hug him," said Hoffman, "and when he stepped in to talk to us, he couldn't even say hello before he got choked up with tears. That's how much Andy's Outreach means to him.
"That's when it really hit me about my brother," she said. "If I can help one family through this program, that's something I really want to be a big part of."
Spearheaded by Dee Shaughnessy, whose title is "Texas Roadhouse director of care and concern," Andy's Outreach was born when Hart became acquainted with a dishwasher named James Bryan in the Louisville, Ky., store. Deaf from birth, Bryan had been employed by the organization for five years and was known for his dedication, loyalty and kindness.
"James took me under his wing from Day One," said Hart. "He did not care who I was or why I was there. He just treated me like a member of his family. I will never forget how accepting and caring James was and how he embraced his job at Texas Roadhouse."
When Bryan suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after their association ended, Hart learned that his new friend had left behind five children and his family had no means to pay for a funeral.
"That's when Texas Roadhouse stepped in," said Shaughnessy. "When we say we're family, we mean it. There's no lip service here. It's real. And after we took care of James' expenses, we established Andy's Outreach to help other employees within our system when they fall on hard times. Our firm belief is that if we take care of our employees, they'll take care of us. You always get back tenfold what you give."
To date, Andy's Outreach has been funded primarily by employee and corporate donations and has assisted hundreds of Texas Roadhouse employees in times of both happiness and sorrow — such as childbirth, illness and injury, college scholarships and disaster relief. In 2007 alone, the charity provided nearly $380,000 in employee assistance and 150 families have been helped so far in 2009.
"The death of James Bryan was a tragedy for all who knew and loved him," said Travis Doster, director of public relations, "but out of that tragedy a lasting legacy has been created that has helped thousands of families across the country in times of need. Imagine how many more families we can help once Andy's Restaurant becomes a reality."
In "legendary" Texas Roadhouse fashion, the Logan restaurant opened its doors to a hungry crowd, eager to enjoy fall-off-the-bone ribs, custom cut steaks and prime rib, made-from-scratch sides and freshly baked bread. Its servers line-dancing on the half hour and whooping with boisterous "yee-haws," the restaurant's opening night was a chance to celebrate success — and then give something back.
"Just so you know," Hart told Barragan, "you have 44,000 family members relying on you."
"That's OK," replied Barragan, "I have big shoulders."
e-mail: jchristensen@desnews.com