SEATTLE, Wash — Restaurant patrons of Ballard's Sunset Hill neighborhood are in shock after the owner of a cherished local restaurant unexpectedly died last Sunday.
The owner of Ristorante Picolinos, Tom Bailiff, died in his sleep at the age of 61 from natural causes, according to his partner.
"For him, it was never just a business, it was really his baby," said Thomas Boone, the restaurant's General Manager.
His former maître d', Roberto Lopez, said the loss will be felt deeply.
"It was shocking because, ya know, he was always so full of life," Lopez said.
His partner both in business and in life, Manny Tapiaservil, is now gripped by grief.
"We were together for 23 years," Tapiaservil said.
His impact on those who surrounded him is apparent, including on the patrons he spent years serving.
Perhaps the biggest testimony to that impact is the broad and heartfelt reaction the news of his passing garnered. One post describing what happened on Nextdoor drew nearly 300 reactions and several comments exuding care and concern.
"Huge outpouring," Boone said. "We’ve had people stopping by the restaurant, sending flowers.”
Tapiaservil said it is nice to feel support from the community during this time.
"Cards, flowers, comments online," Tapiaservil said.
One longtime customer, Gwen Weinert, said Bailiff was generous and uplifting to local charities and organizations.
"He took care of all of us," Weinert said. "Anybody who happened to come into his sight... that’s the kind of person he was."
Ristorante Picolino’s was carefully curated by the man himself with a unique outdoor patio featuring collectibles from around the world. The restaurant serves Italian food and wine and is known for its unpretentious, neighborly feel.
"He was a visionary and a genius," said Vipul Shah, one of its co-owners.
DJ Brooks has lived in a nearby neighborhood for years and said her daughter even had a rehearsal dinner for her wedding at Bailiff's restaurant.
"The attention to detail, but just how friendly -- they would do anything for you," said Brooks.
Bailiff's devotion to his customers, however, may have come at a cost to his own health.
"He was just always going and always doing something," Boone said. "Really hardworking, really hardworking."
Bailiff is described as a "hands-on" owner and was known to spend most every day at Picolinos.
"That takes a toll on you because you’re there many, many hours," Lopez said.
But even though Bailiff is gone, the memories he has fostered since 2008 live on and in the setting he created.
"I remember this restaurant with my grandsons being little and then bigger and bigger and bigger," Weinert said.
"A first date with a guy I'm dating now," Brooks said. "It's great. It’s so special."
Despite the grief, hope remains for Picolinos. The restaurant's other owners told KING 5 they intend to keep the restaurant open, going forward, in its present form.
"Everybody’s been coming here saying, 'Hey, we're gonna come back here, don’t worry,'" Shah said.
"We’re gonna continue to absolutely support them," Brooks said.
Tapiaservil said they will have a public memorial service for Bailiff on Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Picolinos.