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Hillsborough County Center proprietor Kroll dies

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: June 24, 2009

TAMPA - Ken Kroll, who greeted thousands of customers with a smile at Sobik's cafe in the Fred B. Karl County Center, died Tuesday, Hillsborough County employees said.

Kroll died at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville after a long illness, according to Hillsborough County personnel. He and his wife, Kathy, leased the County Center restaurant space since the early 1990s.

"He was well-respected and loved by everyone," said Don Harwig, the county's director of facilities. "He gave everybody a personal touch. People loved him for that and thought he was the greatest person."

County Administrator Pat Bean said Kroll had an uncanny ability to remember customers' names and something personal about them.

"If he thought you were down, he tried to lift you up," she said. "If he thought you were upset about something, he'd say something to calm you down."

Randy Klindworth, the county's energy manager, said he and other employees set up a fund for Kroll's family at Florida West Coast Credit Union when he first got sick. The fund is still accepting donations.

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