Former Pittsburgh Restaurant Chain Owner Dies

PATTERSON HEIGHTS, PA — Lou Pappan, the founder of the former Pappan's Family Restaurant chain in Western Pennsylvania and the owner of a number of Roy Rogers franchises in the region, has died.

Mr. Pappan died at the home, the Beaver County Times reported. He was 92.

Mr. Pappan was a fixture on Pittsburgh TV during the chain's run, starring in Pappan's commercials that always ended with him saying, "You gonna like it."

The restaurant chain began when Pappan converted a candy store into a restaurant in the early 1960s. He gradually grew the chain and operated more than a dozen Roy Rogers restaurants for the next 30 years, but the Pappan's restaurants in the 1990s were sold and the Roy Rogers chain largely vanished from the Pittsburgh market.

Mr. Pappan was close friends with the late Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor, who once worked with him. On Tuesday, the mayor's son, Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor, paid tribute to Mr. Pappan on social media.

"It is very sad to hear about Lou Pappan's passing," O'Connor wrote. "My father regarded Lou as a mentor and a great friend, dating back to the days when the two of them worked at Roy Rogers.

"Over the years, Lou touched the lives of so many people in this region as a successful businessman and genuine individual. I am confident that his legacy will continue to live on for many years to come."

Arrangements for Mr. Pappan are being handled by the Gabauer-Lutton Funeral Home in Beaver Falls.