Matt Bernhard Death – Matt Bernhard, the man behind longstanding RAGBRAI symbol Mr. Pork Chop, died Monday, March 25, his family said on Facebook. Bernhard, also known as Mr. Pork Chop Jr., was the driver of the trademark pink Mr. Pork Chop bus for a number of years.
He drove the bus along the route of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, stopping each day along the way to grill and sell thick Iowa-cut chops to the riders, as well as engage in salty banter with them.
It was in 1983 when his father, Paul, who was the first Mr. Pork Chop, began providing catering services to RAGBRAI. Matt Bernhard, who had worked alongside the senior Bernhard for a significant amount of time, took over the firm after the elder Bernhard retired after the ride in 2007. In 2016, Paul Bernhard passed away at the age of 88.
At the time of his passing, Matt Bernhard, who resided in Bancroft, was in his late 50s. The family did not include any information regarding his actual age or the conditions that led to his passing on Sunday in the post that they made on the Mr. Pork Chop Facebook page. Additionally, the company did not react to any inquiries for comment.
Paul Bernhard, a retired farmer and longtime proponent of incorporating “soundness” (excellent health) as a criterion for evaluating swine) into the hog judging process), became a mobile vendor on RAGBRAI after the event passed through Bancroft and his porkchops stand was a success.
He fell in love with a cycling community that adopted him as its carnivore king as he yelled out his call of “Pork chooooooooooooooooooooooooooop!” to meet the hungry riders who flocked to his roadside grills. He loved the group because it accepted him as its king.
His kid had a similar passion for farming and the ride, and he joked about it the previous summer while he was grilling chops for people who were participating in the RAGBRAI route inspection ride. He said that even vegetarians loved his pork.
As part of his participation in the ride, former champion bike racer Lance Armstrong stopped over to say hello. NPR Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley is one of the longtime RAGBRAI riders who swears by Mr. Pork Chop’s chops.
