Toney Breault, a well-known San Luis Obispo business owner and member of an acclaimed local family restaurant dynasty, has died at age 54.
Brault was found dead Tuesday morning at the Cerro Hotel, according to San Luis Obispo Police Department spokesperson Christine Wallace.
She told the Tribune that hotel staff called police to conduct a welfare check “because Mr. Brault had not been seen for several days.”
Wallace declined to reveal the cause of death but said foul play was not expected.
Brault is the owner of local long-established restaurants F. McLintocks, Buffalo Pub & Grill and Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs.
KSBY reported Wednesday that the businesses have closed following Brault’s death.
Management at all three companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.
Two days ago, police announced that the F. McLintocks Saloon and Dining House in San Luis Obispo was allegedly caught serving alcohol to minors during a recent sting operation.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is expected to take over the case and consider criminal or administrative charges against the employee and business, a press release from the police department said Tuesday.
McClintock partners, father and son Bruce Brault and Tony Brault photographed in June 2003.
(David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com)
Breault is part of a renowned SLO County restaurant family
As a member of the family that built F. McLintocks into a national brand, Brault is one of the key guardians of the local’s acclaimed restaurant legacy.
He took over the restaurant business from his father, Bruce Breault, and co-founder Tunny Ortali. The two opened the first F. McLintocks Steakhouse in Pismo Beach in the 1970s and quickly built it into a respected brand.
Then-California Governor George Deukmejian dined at the restaurant after giving a speech in San Luis Obispo, a decision that a spokesman attributed to the steakhouse’s stellar reputation and the owner’s hard work.
The company quickly grew to include several steakhouses throughout the county, the Trail Camp bean brand sold nationally, and other restaurants such as Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs and Buffalo Pub & Grill in San Luis Obispo.
Meanwhile, Brault grew with his family business.
He was just 2 years old when his father and Ortali founded the first McLintocks. At age 6, he started washing dishes in the kitchen on weekends. He told the Tribune in 2004 that at the urging of his father and Ortali, he began working in “every position in the restaurant.”
“You need to understand what the people who work for you do before you can lead them,” he said at the time.
In 2008, Brault was named one of The Tribune’s 20 Under 40, with nominators calling him “a role model for his company.”
However, the iconic F. McLintocks brand ultimately struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, with its Paso Robles store closing in mid-2020, just months before the death of Breault’s father, Bruce Breault.
Otali died less than a year later, leaving the now-troubled brand entirely in the hands of Toney Breault.
In March 2024, Arroyo Grande F. McLintocks will permanently close its doors, followed a few months later by the brand’s flagship store in Pismo Beach, which offers ocean views along Highway 101.
The situation at F. McClintox’s restaurant in San Luis Obispo has been changing since then, and it appears the restaurant and bar have recently begun allowing guests inside again, though exact hours are unclear. As of this week, the phone number for the location remains disconnected.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Pub & Grill and Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs remain long-standing and beloved restaurants in San Luis Obispo.
It’s unclear what will happen to the businesses after Brault’s death.
Business owner remembered for ‘relentless passion’
On Wednesday, the SLO Downtown Farmers Market shared a post on Instagram honoring Brault as “a familiar face at the farmers market.” F. McLintocks was one of the original barbecue vendors at the weekly event downtown.
“His relentless passion and uncompromising passion left a lasting mark on our community,” the post read.
According to the article, Brault will be honored at an upcoming farmers market, a date to be announced at a later date.
