Some very sad news: Prolific Valley restaurateur Patrick King – a co-owner of The Living Room, CHoP, and Rock Lobster in south Chandler – passed away Saturday. King, who was battling melanoma, was 55.
‘‘As a partner, Patrick was the guy who runs to a fire, and I am the guy that runs to get help,’’ says The Living Room’s Tom Kaufman. ‘‘There were no filters. He was my friend for 35 years and I am going to miss our talks.’’
Scott Troilo, a co-owner of local concepts like Steak 44 and Ocean 44, was another lifelong friend of King.
‘‘None of our lives will be the same without him, but all of our lives are better because of him,’’ he says.
King, a Scottsdale native, began his food and beverage career at the legendary Scottsdale hotspot What’s Your Beef.
He opened more than 70 restaurants, including Sapporo, Jilly’s American Grille, Humble Pie, Kasai Asian Grill, and Maloney’s.
King leaves behind a wife, Angie Bortin King; a son, Ethan; and a daughter, Grace.
