Courtesy of Jeremy Key
Audio By Carbonatix
The Valley’s hospitality industry was stunned by the death of one of its own last week. Jason “Jay” Key, a restaurant manager at Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale, was killed in a traffic accident on Loop 202 in the early hours of Oct. 31. He was 47 years old.
“Jason was a character, he loved to laugh, he was full of life,” chef and restaurateur Gio Osso said. “He was one of the most positive people I’ve ever met.”
Key had two tours with Osso, first in 2014, and later around 2023. Key worked at the chef’s restaurants Virtù Honest Craft, Pizzeria Virtù and the now-shuttered Piccolo Virtù, all in Scottsdale. Osso said Key was “instrumental” in setting the standard for elevated service at Virtu.
Some of that expertise came from three years Key lived in New York City, where he rose through the ranks of Danny Meyer’s Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern.
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In Phoenix, he worked at some of the Valley’s most notable restaurants, including Tarbell’s, and was an operating partner of downtown Phoenix’s Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub. In 2021, he left to found his own restaurant, The Double Dutch Kitchen & Cocktails in Chandler. The restaurant closed in 2023.
Family, friends and former colleagues of Key said he was a dedicated father with an unflappably positive attitude, always ready with a dad joke and a smile.
“It’s a really tough pill to swallow to think that he’s gone,” Osso said.
Key’s family has started a crowd-fundraiser to cover funeral expenses. His family will create a trust for Key’s daughter and son, who are 12 and 8, with any remaining dollars from the fundraiser. Key is also survived by his two younger brothers, Jeremy and Chris, and his parents, Lori Key and Michael Needham.
Jeremy said his brother, seven years his senior, often stepped up as a “surrogate father” who was always there for him.
“I’ve always gone to him for his advice or his opinion of something,” Jeremy said. “Jay’s always been able to step in.”
Long-time friends, colleagues remember Key
Word of Key’s death rippled through the restaurant industry over the weekend. Many shared tributes and the fundraiser through their social media pages.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend and former Virtù team member Jason Key. Jason brought warmth, laughter, and genuine kindness to every shift. He was family,” read a post by Virtù Honest Craft on Nov. 3.
Ivan Herrera worked with Key at Osso’s restaurants. He quipped that Key was a “silver fox” with “the most beautiful eyes in Phoenix.” It was the kind of running joke the two had made work feel “like hanging out with your friends.”
Herrera has children of a similar age who attend the same school. He often would see Key in the drop-off line, singing along to music in the car with his daughter.
“(Fatherhood) was one of the things he was most proud of, and from a guy who has a lot to be proud of,” he said.
Jim Gallen met Key two decades ago when Gallen was an operating partner of Tarbell’s. They remained friends over the years and were working together again at Mountain Shadows, where Gallen manages food and beverage operations. He and other long-time friends and colleagues lamented the loss of Key not only because he was a consummate professional but also because he leaves behind two children.
“His No. 1 goal in life was to be a great dad,” Gallen said, noting that Key “always put his family first.”
Gallen cherishes his chats with Key about their families.
“This business is so demanding and so emotional,” he said. “Being able to slow down and in the moment of every day have somebody that you can share your life with is going to be sorely missed.”
