SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 12, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Tom Guinney, Utah entrepreneur, restaurateur, and community arts advocate, has died at age 71.
Guinney, a partner in Gastronomy, Inc., helped develop the menus and recipes for Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar, among other achievements.
In the community, Guinney served on boards including those of the Downtown Alliance, Visit Salt Lake, the Utah Restaurant Association and the Salt Lake County Board of Health.
Guinney died of natural causes at his daughter’s home, in Oregon, his obituary says.
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski awarded Guinney the Key to the City in 2017 for his contributions in hospitality, philanthropy, the arts, and for his endeavors beautifying and preserving the historic nature of Salt Lake City.
On Thursday, Biskupski released the following statement:
“When I talk about my dear friend, Tom Guinney, I love to tell people we can enjoy eating fresh seafood every day in Salt Lake City because of him. Although Tom was not originally from Salt Lake City, this was his home town,” Biskupski’s statement says.
“As a successful business owner and community member, he was generous with his time, talents, and resources. Kind to friend and stranger alike, and always looking for ways to improve this community through his work. Like many others, I considered Tom both a friend and a mentor.
“The impact of Tom’s life continues to be felt throughout Salt Lake City. You can see it in the beautifully restored buildings he helped save and in the countless restaurant owners, chefs, and managers, he helped train and mentor. Mostly, you can feel it in the deep respect many in this community continue to feel for a man who brought people together and made everyone feel welcome.”
A funeral mass for Guinney will be held at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday at Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City.
Prior to that, a visitation will be on Monday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Neil O’Donnell and Sons Mortuary, 372 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City.
