‘Jose Loved People’: Phoenix Food Industry Mourns Loss of Cook, Father, and Friend

Father, grandfather, and prominent member of the Phoenix restaurant industry Jose Jimenez, 47, has died.

Jimenez worked with many well-known restaurants and brands in the Phoenix food scene, including Gallo Blanco and Welcome Diner in the Garfield Historic Neighborhood, and most recently, with Little Miss BBQ in Sunnyslope and Cloth & Flame, an event company that creates culinary pop-ups in the Arizona wilderness and in historic and unique buildings.

On Saturday, November 5, Jimenez completed his shift as a prep cook for a Cloth & Flame event in Sunnyslope. He walked to the Little Miss BBQ parking lot to retrieve his bike and head to his house, Jordan Micheau, a manager at the barbecue restaurant said. But Jimenez never made it home.

"Jose left his job on a bicycle at 10:16 pm. He texted his family that he was on his way home," according to a poster published on Facebook by his longtime partner Amanda Nash-Jimenez.

Jimenez was wearing a white Chicago Blackhawks jersey and a blue backpack, according to the poster. Anyone with information about his disappearance was asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department. But the next day, police found a body that they identified as Jimenez.

"On November 6, 2022, just after 8:30 a.m. officers responded to a call of a deceased person in the canal near 7th Avenue and Dunlap Avenue," Sergeant Melissa Soliz, a police spokesperson, said in an email to Phoenix New Times. "Detectives responded to take over the investigation. His remains were recovered by the Office of the Medical Examiner. This investigation awaits the findings of the postmortem examination."

Jimenez leaves behind his partner, two children, a granddaughter, and his mother. His death also marks a loss for the Phoenix restaurant community, where Jimenez was known for his friendly and welcoming demeanor to both customers and fellow employees.

Michael Babcock, a former co-owner of Welcome Diner, worked with Jimenez for over a decade.

"As grouchy and grumpy as the world could be, Jose loved people," Babcock said. "He had some crazy life experience, working in the restaurant industry, housing foreign exchange students, and becoming a grandfather at 40. Jose loved to relate to people and make a difference. He was both smart and cultured, so as you can imagine, a great conversationalist."

Babcock first met Jimenez while working with him at Gallo Blanco in 2009. When he took over Welcome Diner along with Wayne Coats in 2012, Babcock offered Jimenez a job at the restaurant. He worked as a cook at the neighborhood staple off and on until 2020, leaving for about a year to pursue a career in youth counseling, Babcock said. He took over as head chef for a period while Babcock opened Welcome Diner's Tucson location.

Jimenez could easily connect to just about anyone and was a charitable person, Babcock said.

Earlier this year, AmeriCorps awarded the Jimenez family with The President's Volunteer Service Award in recognition of 2,000 hours of service. In a photo posted by Nash-Jimenez on Facebook, the Jimenez family smiled while Jimenez held a plaque displaying the achievement.

"We are living in a moment that calls for hope and light and love," read a letter from the White House accompanying the award. "Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another. Through your service, you are providing all three."

Jimenez used his bike to do good as well, riding 238 miles in the Great Cycle Challenge USA. The cycling event raises funds to help fight pediatric cancer. He collected $793 in donations for the cause.

Rallying to Honor Jimenez's Legacy

Now, the local food industry is coming together to raise money for Jimenez's family, and to honor his legacy.

The Lost Leaf, a popular bar near Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, is hosting a fundraiser for Jimenez on Thursday, November 17. The "backyard boogie" will run from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to an Instagram post by Wayne Coats. Proceeds will go toward Jimenez's memorial.

The Sunnyslope location of Little Miss BBQ, located at Seventh Street south of Dunlap Avenue, will close at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 13, to hold a private memorial for Jimenez. The restaurant sent an email to its subscribers notifying them of the early closure.

"Jose Jimenez joined the Sunnyslope team in 2019 and played a starring role in keeping our customer lines happy as a meat cutter. He was an avid bike rider, both riding to and from work and competing in bike fundraisers to support kids with cancer," the email read.

The announcement also included a link to a GoFundMe page. By Friday morning, friends and family had pitched in nearly $23,000 to help cover expenses for the Jimenez family.

"Jose’s love and generosity rivaled his work ethic. His cooking was a testament to his love for others. He is a badass chef that never wanted to be called chef. He told me 'just call me Grandpa.' Thank you for everything grandpa, from the laughs to gifting me Batman Comics. Thank you and Rest In Peace," James Corbett II commented on the page for the fundraiser.

Similar sentiments remembering Jimenez have echoed throughout the Phoenix food scene both online and in person. The post that Nash-Jimenez wrote on Facebook announcing Jimenez's death on November 6 currently has almost 300 comments.

"I am not even sure how to write this, but my husband Jose Mackario Jimenez is gone," Nash-Jimenez wrote in the post.