Jerry Springer’s death being felt across the Bay Area: ‘We’ll miss him dearly’

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jerry Springer may have stood out for his popular and sometimes outrageous talk show, but in the Bay Area, the legendary host was known for his kindness and generosity.

An empty booth at Patrick’s 1481 in Sarasota has left staff with heavy hearts. 

Jerry Springer was a regular customer at the restaurant and often sat in the booth in the back. 

"He liked to get our 1481 salad and usually a bowl of chili was his favorite," shared general manager Stacie Holler.

Springer had been a loyal customer for the past decade, eating at the restaurant every couple of weeks.

"Super sweet to all of the staff," Holler said. "Really easy to wait on. He was usually reading a book. He kind of kept to himself."

Staff say they’ll miss seeing the iconic talk show host, who died on Thursday. 

"We’re sad. We’re going to miss him. Our regulars are what keeps us going. They are the most important thing to this restaurant, so we’re going to miss him dearly," Holler stated.

Springer had a home in Sarasota, but he also left his mark on Tampa.

"Jerry is a very affectionate person," shared Simon Canasi with the Krewe of Sant’ Yago. "He just oozed personality. Very gracious."

Spring served as the grand marshal for the Krewe of Sant’ Yago Knight Parade several times over the past few years.

"Tens of thousands of people on 7th Avenue yelling out Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! He added quite a bit to our parade," Canasi explained.

The last time Springer made an appearance at the parade was in 2022.

"Just was very gracious with everyone. Took the time to talk to people. Take pictures with people. Never turned his back on anybody. He made time for everybody," Canasi said.

Parade officials say they will do something to honor the late talk show host during next year’s Knight Parade.