29-year-old Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies

Well, that is just unfortunate- the young man who was spokesman for the Mesa, Arizona Heart Attack Grill has died of flu-related pneumonia at the age of 29.

Blair River was a big man- 6’8? tall and weighing nearly 600 lbs. He acted out a “larger than life caricature” promoting a restaurant that served up massive burgers and lard-cooked fries, and Heart Attack Grill founder Jon Basso says his staff is heartbroken:

“Cynical people might think this (River’s death) is funny,” 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.”

Basso described River, a financial planner for the University of Phoenix, as the “creative genius” behind the Heart Attack Grill’s notorious ads. Basso says that even if River was a tiny guy, his personality would have won the spot in the ads- ads which he’s had to stop playing in the restaurant because staff was getting “too emotional.”

“We’re like a family here and he was part of our family,” Arreola said. “He will be missed. He’ll definitely be missed.”