Amy Rose shared a photo on the Ryan's Place Facebook page of her and her father Bob, who died in December.

Local Black Bear Diner locations are set to close part of the day on Wednesday in honor of Bob Rose, who brought the franchise to the region.

Amy Rose, who co-owned seven Black Bear Diners with her father Bob Rose, announced on social media that Bob died on Dec. 21.

Amy said in an interview Monday morning that her father passed away due to heart failure at age 85. She said he was “a man of integrity.”

“His passing was peaceful while holding my mother’s hand,” Amy wrote in a letter to customers. “Bob was a strong man that lived a wonderful 85 years. His Legend will continue through with Excellent Service, Quality Food and Clean Diners.”

A service for Bob Rose will be held Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at St. Aloysius Church in Tulare.

Amy said in honor of her father, the original Los Banos location that opened in 1986 would be closed all day on Wednesday. All of the other diners will close at 11 a.m. that day. They will reopen Thursday for regular hours.

In lieu of Flowers, Amy Rose asked for donations in the name of her father and mother, Lucille Rose, be made to New Bethany (209-827-8933), a church and senior care community in Los Banos.

“These donations will go to the Church and Home where a golden leaf with their names will be engraved,” Amy wrote.

Black Bear Diner made a splash when the Roses opened the Fresno location at a former Marie Callender’s at Shaw and Marty avenues in Fresno in February 2019. There are also locations in Visalia, Madera, Tulare, Porterville, Hanford and Los Banos.

 

https://www.facebook.com/ryansplaceCA/posts/6749911025051053

 

The family also operated restaurants under the “Ryan’s Place” brand, but the last pair of remaining locations in Hanford and Visalia closed at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and never reopened.

Amy’s parents opened the first Ryan’s Place in Los Banos in 1986 before expanding as a franchise across the Central Valley, reported the Visalia Times Delta. Four Ryan’s locations were later transitioned into Black Bear Diner locations.

Black Bear Diner got its start in 1995 in Mount Shasta, California. The franchise has grown to more than 140 locations in 14 states.