Kayo Oakley

Kayo Oakley, whose restaurant business philosophy was based on providing quality, affordably priced food catered to local residents, died on Saturday. He was 71.

Oakley first came to Bend slightly more than 40 years ago working in the restaurant at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes. That was in the midst of a recession, but it didn’t stop him from finding a way to buy his own restaurant with the assistance of his friend and legal adviser Bruce Brothers.

“So many people trusted and respected his advice,” said Brothers. “He never said no to anyone and would give you the shirt off his back.”

At the moment, the family has decided to keep the Third Street restaurant, named after Kayo, open. It will be open Tuesday at the usual time. Oakley was the sole proprietor, said his youngest son, Kaysen Oakley.

“There are too many things to look at,” Kaysen Oakley said. “I don’t know the logistics. All the stuff has to be hammered out.”

Oakley ran a tight ship, serving as restaurant manager and hands-on owner, said his son.

“We’ll have to see what we want to do as a family,” Kaysen Oakley said. “My father was there every step of the way. We don’t want to sell it, or even if we can. It’s a lot to digest.”

The steak house restaurant, next to an EconoLodge on NE Third Street, offered old-school dining with a distinct midcentury decor. Oakley would often greet customers, especially long-term customers, Brothers said.

“All three of my daughters grew up there,” Brothers said. “They learned table manners in the corner booth of that restaurant. He had a group of loyal customers, and I’m one of them.”

Oakley’s first restaurant opened on Powers Road in 1982, when Bend’s population was about 20,000. Several years later, he opened other restaurants: Kayo’s Roadhouse, which he later sold, and then opened the current restaurant on Third Street, Kayo’s Dinner House & Lounge in 2010, according to previous reports in The Bulletin.

Services have not been set yet, especially given the restrictions on gatherings because of COVID-19, said Kaysen Oakley. A celebration of life will be held at a later time.

Oakley, who died from an undisclosed illness, is survived by his three children: Tambi, Paul and Kaysen.