Aussie Olympian Joe Hayder dies after building a unique fast food empire once his sporting career came to an end

Former Olympic weightlifter Joe Haydar has died at the age of 85.

The Australian, born in Lebanon but moving to Western Australia in 1973, represented his new country at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Haydar placed 16th in the men’s weightlifting category at the Games, but after his playing career he made a big splash in the culinary world by opening his own food company.

He founded a much-loved pizzeria in Perth in 1974, initially called Joe’s Barnett’s Pizza.

The restaurant would later be renamed Joe’s Pizza, with Haydar opening several other restaurants in the area.

Hayder is survived by his family and five daughters, while Joe’s Pizza released a statement on Facebook on Thursday.

“Our hearts are broken,” the restaurant said.

“The world is a little darker without our shining light, which has guided us with its incredible wisdom.

After his athletics career, Haydar would open his own pizza chain in Bunbury, WA

“Keep flipping those pizzas and making those chili dogs.

‘This amazing photo courtesy of Ben Yew Photography Photography, taken for the One Bunbury most inspiring people initiative, really captured the heart of who Joe was, always smiling and oh so cheeky. RIP Dad, Joe, Jido.”

In a recent interview, the restaurant owner revealed that his love for food was the reason he started lifting weights.

“If you work in food and have to taste the food, I weigh up to 110 kilos,” Haydar said in an interview with Bunbury photographer Ben Yew’s 100 Inspiring People Project.

“The doctor said to me, ‘You better lose some weight.’

Haydar then joined a gym and discovered a new sport: weightlifting.

“Unbeknownst to me – I didn’t know anything about records or anything – I suddenly broke Australian records,” he added.

But after representing Australia at the Olympics, Joe decided he wanted to take a different path in the food industry, noting that there was only one pizzeria in Perth at the time. He also created the ‘Aussie pizza dog’ after it became clear there was demand from the WA public for a new menu item.

“Whatever you have in the pizza, you have it as a dog, tell me (what you want),” he said.

‘We didn’t sell that many pizzas, but we sold 3,000 a week. It just grew and no one else could do it because that’s how it was [was a] registered trademark.’

In 1979, the WA government opened a new tower-like building in Bunbury, which was named Haydar House after the Olympian. He would open the building together with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.

He founded the beloved pizzeria in 1974, initially called Joe’s Barnett’s Pizza

His daughter, Andree, reflected during an interview about how kind her father was to people in the community The Western Australia.

“He just loved life, he loved helping people, he never had anything bad to say about anyone,” she told the outlet.

“Anyone who needed his help, he was the first to say, ‘Okay, I’ll help you,’ or ‘I’ll do that.’

‘I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about my father, not a bad word about him.

“He just loved his grandkids, oh my god, even when he was so sick, he was practically unconscious in the hospital, my niece… came in and said, ‘Hi Jeddo.'” [grandfather in Arabic] and his eyes would light up.”