Death by Burger is No Laughing Matter
May 7, 2011 | Food, Health, Home
Blair River, a resident of Mesa, Az, died on Tuesday at the age of 29 of pneumonia due to complication of a bout with the flu. Besides his young age “What” you might ask “is the big deal”
River had gained a measure of fame in his short life. The 6-foot-8, 575-pound area known “big hearted guy”, spent the past year as the poster boy for a Chandler, Arizona restaurant which specializes in thick hamburgers, milkshakes and fries appearing in several satirical commercials, highlighting the grill’s tongue in cheek “glorification of obesity”.
The untimely death of Heart Attack Grill’s spokesperson, Blair River, is not a laughing matter says Restaurant founder Jon Basso “Cynical people might think this [River's death] is funny, but people who knew him are crying their eyes out. There is a lot of mourning going on around here. You couldn’t have found a better person.”
“He was a nice guy, very energetic and full of life,” said Alex Arreola, a waitress at the grill. “He was always talking about his daughter and he always seemed to know the right thing to say to people.”
It’s obvious the Grill’s catch-phrase “a taste to die for” is certainly not what the owner and his crew would have imagined for River. Basso credits him for the “creative genius” behind the promotions and states he was always coming up with new ideas for spots for the restaurant. They were even planning to shoot a spot called, “Heart Attack Grill: The Musical.”
The ads featuring River shown on the video screens in the restaurant won’t be running now because it’s too hard for the staff and Blair would want the fun to go on. But if you want to know how much the “special man who cared as deeply as he smiled” is going to be missed just view the tributes at The Heart Attack Grill’s Facebook page.
This article was written by: Brenda Mallard
