SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — The Safety Harbor community is rallying around the family of Whistle Stop Grill and Bar Owner Louis Kinney, who passed away unexpectedly days before Christmas.

What You Need To Know

  •  Whistle Stop Grill and Bar Owner Louis Kinney passed away last week at the age of 42

  •  The owner of The Nona Slice House, a business near Whistle Stop, said Kinney was a great neighbor who was always willing to help out

  • The Safety Harbor business community is stepping up to support his family through fundraisers and donations

  • Nona's is collecting donations and donating ten percent of this week's total sales to a GoFundMe set up for Kinney's family

“Well, he was a staple here. I mean, Whistle Stop has been around for forever, and he was the face of that place,” said Jamie Culliton. 

Culliton owns The Nona Slice House a few doors down from the Whistle Stop on Main St. He said Kinney was a constant source of support when Nona’s opened over three years ago.

“If you needed help, and probably more than anything, if you just wanted to vent, you know, whether it’s parking or the city or rules, regulations, whatever, bad guests - really anything you could just bounce off Louis,” Culliton said.

According to an obituary, Kinney was 42 years old and a pillar of the community who was dedicated to giving back. A small memorial sat outside the Whistle Stop Wednesday, including flowers, a photo, and messages honoring Kinney. On the Facebook group Safety Harbor Strong, post after post expressed condolences to Kinney’s family, shared memories of him, and showed how the business community is stepping up to help his wife and two children.

Whistle Stop Grill and Bar Owner Louis Kinney passed away last week at the age of 42. (Sarah Blaxonis, Spectrum News staff)

Several restaurants and shops are holding fundraisers or donating proceeds to a GoFundMe set up for Kinney’s family. They set two donation buckets up at Nona’s, and Culliton said ten percent of total sales from the week of December 26 will be donated to the GoFundMe.

“It’s really good to see everybody coming together in the town, even though it’s for such a terrible reason. But that’s just what he meant to everybody in the town,” said Culliton.

To find out about upcoming events to support the Kinney family, visit their Facebook.