Fears are growing for a prominent restaurateur who vanished during a late-night walk along the Brisbane River.

John Kilroy, 74, was last seen on Sunday night after heading out for a stroll but never returned.

Mr Kilroy has been battling cancer for five years and kept it a secret from most people. 

He had been undergoing treatment and staying with friends when he disappeared.

‘We are worried about him,’ a friend told the Courier Mail. 

‘He was in great pain and went for a walk and we haven’t seen him since.

‘Police have been notified.’

Born on a remote grazing property in far western Queensland, Mr Kilroy started out as a humble waiter in Townsville before rising to build a glittering restaurant empire spanning Cha Cha Char, Jellyfish and Giardinetto alongside stakes in pubs including The Fox and The Exchange.

John Kilroy, 74, failed to return after leaving for a walk along Brisbane River on Sunday night

His restaurant Cha Cha Char (pictured) was widely recognised as the best steakhouse in Australia

In 2019 he was slapped with a whopping fine after cockroaches were found in its dining and kitchen areas.

He pleaded guilty at Brisbane Magistrates Court to five charges of failing to comply with the food standards code.

The high-flying hospitality mogul was hit hard by Covid-era dining restrictions, which dealt a crushing financial blow and ultimately forced him to offload many of his prized venues.

He retired in 2020 with the sale of Cha Cha Char, widely recognised as the best steakhouse in Australia and a meeting place of politicians and captains of industry. 

In 2021 he moved to Hervey Bay after selling his lavish two-storey New Farm penthouse with a rooftop terrace for $7.5million.