Noted SLO business owner, part of local restaurant empire, dies at 54
Toney Breault, a noted San Luis Obispo business owner and part of a lauded local family restaurant dynasty, has died at age 54.
According to San Luis Obispo Police Department spokesperson Christine Wallace, Breault was found deceased at Hotel Cerro on Tuesday morning.
She told The Tribune that hotel staff called the police to conduct a welfare check “as Mr. Breault had not been seen for several days.”
Wallace declined to disclose a cause of death, but said foul play was not expected.
Breault, who is survived by daughters Baileyana and Olivia, was the owner of longtime local establishments F. McLintocks, Buffalo Pub & Grill and Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs.
KSBY on Wednesday reported that the businesses were closed following Breault’s death.
A request for comment from management at all three businesses was not immediately returned as of Wednesday afternoon.
The news comes two days after police announced F. McLintocks Saloon and Dining House in San Luis Obispo had allegedly been found serving alcohol to minors during a recent sting operation.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was expected to take over the case and consider filing criminal or administrative actions against the employees and business, a Police Department release said Tuesday.
Breault was a part of noted SLO County restaurant family
As part of the family that built F. McLintocks into a national brand, Breault was one of the key caretakers of a lauded local restaurant legacy.
He took over the restaurant business from his father, Bruce Breault, and co-founder Tunny Ortali. The pair had opened the first F. McLintocks steakhouse in Pismo Beach in the 1970s and quickly built it into a respected name.
At one point, then-California Gov. George Deukmejian ate at the restaurant after a speech in San Luis Obispo, and a spokesperson for the restaurant attributed the decision to the steakhouse’s outstanding reputation and the hard work of its owners.
The company quickly grew to encompass several steakhouses across the county, a nationally sold trail camp beans brand and other restaurants such as Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs and Buffalo Pub & Grill, both in San Luis Obispo.
Breault, meanwhile, grew up alongside his family’s business.
He was 2 years old when his father and Ortali founded that first McLintocks, and by 6 he was washing dishes in its kitchen on the weekends. From there he would go on to work “every position in the restaurant,” at the urging of his father and Ortali, he told The Tribune in 2004.
“You need to understand what the people who work for you do before you can lead them,” he said at the time.
In 2008, Breault was named one of The Tribune’s Top 20 under 40, with his nominator saying he was a “role model in his businesses.”
The iconic F. McLintocks brand, however, eventually ran into hard times amid the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, with its Paso Robles location closing in mid-2020, just months before the passing of Breault’s father, Bruce Breault.
Ortali would die less than a year later, leaving a now somewhat-beleaguered brand fully in Toney Breault’s hands.
In March 2024, the Arroyo Grande F. McLintocks would shut its doors permanently, followed a few months later by the brand’s flagship Pismo Beach location, with its ocean views along Highway 101.
Since then the status of the San Luis Obispo F. McLintocks has been in flux, with the restaurant and bar appearing to have recently begun allowing guests inside once again, though details are unclear on its exact hours of operation. The phone number for the location remained disconnected as of this week.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Pub & Grill and Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs have held on as longtime and beloved San Luis Obispo establishments.
It is unclear what will happen to the businesses following Breault’s death.
Business owner remembered for ‘relentless enthusiasm’
Breault is survived by his two daughters, Baileyana and Olivia.
On Friday, they issued a statement to The Tribune saying they wished to “sincerely thank the San Luis Obispo community for the outpouring of condolences, support and love.”
“While we may not be able to respond to everything right now, please know that we see and appreciate each message,” they wrote. “This community played a large role in our father’s life, giving him connection and purpose. Thank you to everyone who was a part of his last years — your presence and care meant the world to both my sister and me.
It continued: “We hope to honor our father at a later date, but for now, we ask for privacy and space to grieve.”
On Wednesday, the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market shared a post on Instagram remembering Breault as a “familiar face at the Farmers’ Market.” F. McLintocks was one of the original barbecue vendors at the weekly downtown event.
“His relentless enthusiasm and uncompromising passion have left a lasting mark on our community,” the post read.
According to the post, Breault will be honored at an upcoming Farmers’ Market, to be announced at a later date.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 5:27 PM.
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