During a special ceremony at its restaurant in Sugar Land, Texas, Ignite Restaurant Group CFO Brad Leist and team presented a check for $140,104.75 to Operation Homefront, reflecting the results of its third-annual “Taste Freedom” campaign. The funds, which were collected from all 26 Brick House Tavern + Tap locations nationwide, will enable Operation Homefront, the national non-profit organization, to provide invaluable services and assistance to tens of thousands of military families.
The restaurant also teamed up with Operation Homefront and Chase to award and deed a mortgage-free home to U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jose Alvarez, who served nearly seven years in the Marines performing logistics duties, including two tours in Iraq, and his family.
“This home is going to change our lives,” Alvarez says. “It’s going to allow us to not have to worry so much about the financial side of life so we can focus more on our children, who mean the world to us. We are so thankful for this opportunity.”
Brick House Tavern + Tap hosted a seven-week campaign between Memorial Day and Independence Day during which guests who donated to the “Taste Freedom” initiative received bounce-back coupons entitling them to free appetizers and entrées based on the amount donated. These contributions were supplemented by a social media fundraising initiative conducted concurrently with Samuel Adams.
“I am extremely honored to present this check to our partners at Operation Homefront on behalf of the entire Brick House Tavern + Tap team and our generous guests,” Leist says. “At Brick House Tavern + Tap, we strongly believe in supporting the men and women who protect our freedoms every day and make extreme sacrifices in service to our country, like Sgt. Alvarez. This is our opportunity to offer a sincere ‘thank you’ to him, his family and everyone else who wears the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.”
Over the past three years, the “Taste Freedom” campaign has cumulatively donated more than $422,000 to Operation Homefront. The program is unique for the non-profit, and a one-of-a-kind in the restaurant industry.
“We’re extremely grateful to Brick House Tavern + Tap and their guests for assisting Operation Homefront in building strong, stable, and secure military families,” says Brig. Gen. (ret) Robert Thomas, chief operating officer of Operation Homefront. “The monies raised from the successful third straight year of our partnership will help us provide critical relief, resiliency, and support programs for our veterans and military families who served and defended the freedoms we enjoy daily.”
