Event Heaven Deluxe DeJoria Center Regales Mountain Visitors
                     EVENT HEAVEN: DELUXE DEJORIA 
CENTER REGALES MOUNTAIN VISITORS
HTTPS://HIGHSTARRANCH.COM/
High Star Ranch in Kamas, Utah, 
didn’t start out to be the home of a 
high-end event space that houses 
everything from weddings to 
Sundance Film Festival showings. The 
original plan in 2005, by primary 
investor John Paul DeJoria and his real 
estate partners Tom Grimmett and 
Mark Fischer, was a luxury equestrian 
residential development tucked into a 
mountain hideaway. And then the 
recession hit. “We found that, during 
the recession we had a lot of interest 
from people that wanted to rent a 
barn on the property for weddings,” 
Mark says. “That led to the idea of an 
events center.”
ADAPTING TO GREATNESS
The original plan for the DeJoria Center at High Star Ranch called for a $3 million 
renovation of the existing barn. The team brought in Rick Brighton with Brighton 
Architectural Group to develop the plan for the remodel. Rick had worked with 
Mark in the past on cabin properties and was excited for the evolutionary project. 
“Superintendent Fred Lucas never said, ‘No.’ He said that if we wanted 
something, he would figure out how to do it.”Mark Fischer Partner with Tri Star, 
LLC – High Star Ranch“It was a legacy project for me,” he says. “There was a lot 
of discussions that led to it being the size and scope that it is and it was an 
enjoyable challenge.” What originally started as a plan to add some bathrooms 
and renovate the exterior turned into a $14 million masterpiece where every 
detail adds to the experience of guests.“Whether it was the acoustics, the 
lighting, the stage or the kitchen, we paid for the best money could buy,” Mark 
says. “Don’t get me wrong. We did our research and made sure it was the best, 
but the long-term functionality was never compromised.”
RENEWING THE OLD
Not only did the building have to be adjusted for functionality —  going from an 
equestrian holding facility to a lounge for Hollywood elites —  but it had to be 
improved from an engineering standpoint. To accomplish this, Rick and his team 
developed an idea to support the walls of the existing barn with new 
construction, improving seismic strength and adding aesthetic beauty. There was 
also the modern, technical version of a barn raising when Layton suggested 
adding more headroom for guests by bringing the roof to the maximum allowed 
height. “That was an idea suggested by Layton and it had significant 
architectural consequences,” Rick says. “It gives a better experience to 
everyone that walks in. It was a great design build job where we were able to 
work closely together with the owners and Layton to get the best results.”
FUNDING THE OPERATION
John Paul DeJoria became a billionaire by providing customers, clients and patrons 
with the best in every industry he’s involved in. With the support of Tom Grimmett, 
the DeJoria Center fits well with the high-end reputation of its namesake.“We 
were very fortunate to have John Paul DeJoria and Tom Grimmett catch the vision 
of the project,” Mark says. “That is what allowed us to get the end result we’re 
all so excited about.” In fact, some members of the construction team —  including 
Mark and Rick —  made a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, to visit the Patrón Hacienda 
& Distillery and see the level of quality associated with the DeJoria name.“We saw 
John Paul’s level of expectation and everyone caught the fever,” Rick says. “Mark 
and I couldn’t do anything less than something amazing. It wouldn’t have done 
justice to the DeJoria name.” Having the financial backing of John Paul and Tom 
allowed decisions to be made based on quality.“The opportunity to convert an 
existing horse riding arena into the DeJoria Center with a Vegas-style stage and 
A/V package is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a real pleasure working with 
Mark Fischer and Tom Grimmett who spared no expense to see their vision come 
to reality. Rick Brighton’s ability to put their vision on paper made our job easy,” 
says Brett Partridge, vice president at Layton.
THE END RESULT
Opened in March 2016, the DeJoria Center 
has already become a world-class 
entertainment venue in a rural setting —  
conjuring images of Red Rocks in Colorado or 
Southfork Ranch in Dallas —  and offers a 
distinctly Park City feel without the traffic of 
Park City Main Street.The construction of the 
project has also been recognized as a 
regional winner of Best Projects from ENR 
magazine.“When we started this project, I 
told John Paul that I thought we needed to go 
big or go home,” Mark says. “Well, he went a 
helluva lot bigger than we thought. It’s a 
project that I will always remember because 
I won’t ever do another one like it again.”