The 575-pound man who served as a spokesman for an Arizona restaurant that prides itself on being unhealthy died Tuesday. He was 29.
The cause of death for Blair River is unknown, but he had been suffering from pneumonia. The 6’8″ Arizona native was the face of Heart Attack Grill, a restaurant that specializes in overindulgent proportions of hamburgers and fries cooked in pure lard.
“Cynical people might think this [his death] is funny,” Heart Attack Grill founder Jon Basso said. “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.”
River worked as a financial adviser at the University of Phoenix. According to Basso some ads featuring River on the video screens in the restaurant were removed because they upset the staff too much.
Basso started the Heart Attack Grill in 2005 to serve “nutritional pornography.” Some of their beef patties weigh up to two pounds and contain around 8,000 calories. Customers who weigh more than 350 pounds eat for free if they weigh in with a doctor or nurse before eating.
A Lighter Take on French Onion Soup, Via Italy
Egg and Ricotta Salad: Poached Eggs For Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
