Heir to famed ‘Maltese Falcon’ restaurant dynasty in San Francisco dies suddenly at just 41
- Sydna Konstin, a scion of the John's Grill restaurant dynasty in San Francisco, died suddenly in Greece at the age of 41.
A scion of a storied San Francisco restaurant dynasty known for its literary and political ties died suddenly in Greece at only 41 years old.
The devastated family of Sydna Konstin, co-owner of the famed downtown haunt John's Grill, confirmed her death in an obituary published Thursday.
Sydna Konstin, heir to the John's Grill restaurant dynasty, died suddenly at age 41. facebook/sydnaellena
Konstin, daughter of John's Grill co-owner John Konstin, had been living in Athens after growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The cause was heart failure, her family said.
A vintage neon sign for John's Grill advertising steaks, seafood, and cocktails is seen in San Francisco. Gado via Getty Images
Owner John Konstin, daughter Sydna Constin and son John Konstin. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
She was a third-generation proprietor of John's Grill, a 118-year-old Union Square restaurant known for its steaks, cocktails and massive Election Day block parties that draw thousands of politicos, journalists and other locals with free wine and buffet food.
The wood-paneled joint was established in 1908 and purchased in the 1960s by Sydna's grandfather, Greek immigrant Gus Konstin, who revitalized the space as a noir hotspot loved by power brokers, movie stars, and authors.
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John's Grill is famous for its massive downtown block parties, especially on Election Day. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
The wood-paneled interior features photos of famous patrons. John's Grill
The restaurant played a role in the detective novel "Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett, who was a regular at John's Grill.
Those close to the heartbroken Konstin family described Sydna as an joyful and warm hostess who drew large crowds to John's Grill, where she would sometimes work behind the bar.
"She brought people together and made everyone feel better just by being there," her brother, John Jr., said in her obituary.
Sydna Konstin relocated to Greece, but remained connected with San Francisco. facebook/sydnaellena
She was the "bubbles in the champagne," a family spokesperson shared, noting their pride in her shared inheritance of the family business.
"From the day I first held her, she filled our lives with love, laughter, compassion, and a light that could never be measured," her father, John Konstin, shared in a Facebook post in July.
John's Grill was featured in the Maltese Falcon. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed celebrates the restaurant's 100th anniversary in 2018. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
"She had a smile that could quiet your worries, a heart that always found room for someone else, and a way of making every person she met feel like they mattered."
She was working in real estate at the time of her death on June 26, according to her family.
