Jimmy John's reopens in Herriman, 15 months after the strip mall explosion

HERRIMAN — Jimmy John's reopened Thursday, Oct. 8, at the strip mall on 13400 South, holding a ribbon-cutting more than a year after an explosion destroyed part of the building and closed three businesses 1.

"It's such a huge relief," owner Debbie Merrill told FOX 13 Utah. "For the last 15 months, while it was very busy getting this rebuilt, it also felt like something was wrong the whole time. We were missing this important component of our company, and now it's back." Merrill has owned the location since 2014 1.

"It was total disbelief and fear until we established that all of our employees were safe," Merrill said of the night of the explosion 1. Rob Rasmussen, Jimmy John's director of operations, told the station the store's team had reacted in a way he called inspiring 1.

The explosion followed a crash on July 5, 2025. KUTV reported that three people were taken to hospitals after a car involved in a three-vehicle crash slammed into the building near 5200 West and 13400 South and ruptured a gas line 2. The crash happened around 11 p.m. 2. Two bystanders pulled the driver and passenger from the burning vehicle moments before it was fully engulfed in flames, according to officials 2.

As crews worked on the car fire, the gas line exploded, destroying the building and causing significant damage to two other structures, KUTV reported 2. More than 60 firefighters from the Unified Fire Authority and the South Jordan, West Jordan, West Valley City, Sandy and Draper fire departments were dispatched to the blaze 2. Three people were taken to hospitals, and no firefighters or law enforcement officers were injured, officials said 2.

Residents on Terra Cruz Lane and Parasol Lane were told to evacuate because of the gas leak, and all evacuation orders were lifted by 1:05 a.m. the following day. The 13400 South road was closed in both directions, according to KUTV 2. Gephardt Daily reported that gas service was shut off at 12:54 a.m. and that the third damaged business was the Supercuts hair salon; Herriman Mayor Lorin Palmer said in a post that residents within a mile of the Domino's and Jimmy John's building should leave the area 3.

The Riverton Police Department led the investigation into the crash because the initial collision took place on a road in Riverton 4.

FOX 13 Utah reported that the Jimmy John's space, Supercuts and Domino's Pizza all suffered heavy damage 1. In February, Palmer described the rebuild of the three-tenant retail building as part of the city's commercial growth and said Jimmy John's had confirmed plans to return, while the other tenants were still being determined 5.

What the record filed with this paper does not state is whether or when the other two storefronts will reopen.

Sources: 1 FOX 13 Utah, "Year after explosion, Jimmy John's reopens in Herriman," Oct. 8, 2026 — https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/salt-lake-county/year-after-explosion-jimmy-johns-reopens-in-herriman 2 KUTV, "Three injured after car crashes into Herriman business, triggers explosion, massive fire," July 2025 — https://kutv.com/news/local/three-vehicle-crash-triggers-explosion-massive-fire-at-herriman-business 3 Gephardt Daily, "BREAKING: First responders on the scene of explosion, fire at Herriman strip mall," July 6, 2025 — https://gephardtdaily.com/local/breaking-first-responders-on-the-scene-of-explosion-fire-at-herriman-strip-mall/ 4 KUTV, "Crash that led to Herriman Domino's explosion started in Riverton," July 2025 — https://kutv.com/news/local/investigators-piece-together-what-led-to-herriman-strip-mall-explosion 5 KMYU / ARC Salt Lake, "Commercial surge marks turning point after years of rapid growth in Herriman," Feb. 23, 2026 — https://kmyu.tv/news/local/commercial-surge-marks-turning-point-after-years-of-rapid-growth-in-herriman