Chris Carpenter’s Life and Legacy

Chris Carpenter, co-owner of Dallas restaurant Hendy’s on Henderson, died on Aug. 10, 2025, after spending the evening prior at the bustling bar.

Hendy’s was open barely a month when Carpenter died.

Carpenter was 41 years old — but 25 at heart, his friends would say. His cause of death is unknown. Friends said it came as a shock.

He loved surfing, traveling, skateboarding and going to the gym. He often sported a new hairstyle, his sisters said.

Early Life and Career

Carpenter was born and raised in Maui, where he learned to surf and bodyboard. He graduated from Lahainaluna High School and went to motorcycle mechanics school. He eventually moved to Arizona to work in the nightlife industry in Scottsdale, where he worked as a barback, bar manager, general manager and event promoter.

Eric Ferrone said his friend “Carp” had a “24-hour personality.”

Colleague and friend Dan Young called him “a pillar of our industry.”

At first, he seemed “jacked [and] tatted up.” But, Young also found him to be a connector and a mentor.

Carp was a natural leader when given a management role, several said.

Personal Life and Interests

Friend and fellow bar operator Andrew Young called him a “high risk, high reward” person who was a “meticulous manager” with a magnetic personality.

Chris Carpenter, right, and Cote Bona opened Hendy’s on Henderson in July 2025. The two were best friends.

Anja Schlein / Special Contributor

Legacy and Impact

“He lived fully, loved deeply and led with a rare combination of passion and generosity,” said Cote Bona, one of his best friends and a business partner in Hendy’s.

“His laugh could fill a room, his ideas could change its course, and his belief in people made you believe in yourself.”

Carpenter and Bona moved across the United States to open Bottled Blonde bars in several cities, including Miami and Dallas.

The two partnered with Dallas restaurateurs Brandon Hays and Phil Schanbaum (High Fives, Burger Schmurger, the coming-soon Boogie’s and more) to open Hendy’s on Henderson, replacing pizza joint Sfuzzi.

Hays enjoyed Carpenter’s intensity.

“Fun conversations about drink and food programs were met with the same intensity as the way he wanted service to be handled,” Hays said. Running Hendy’s was natural to Carpenter, he said.

The evening before Chris Carpenter died, he was working the room at Hendy’s on Henderson — delivering drinks and welcoming customers to the new bar.

Anja Schlein / Special Contributor

Adam Evers, a friend, said Carp was “genuine, driven and full of heart, with a personality larger than life.”

Said Schanbaum: “We will make him proud at Hendy’s.”

Memorial and Celebration of Life

Carpenter is survived by his parents, step parents and sisters.

Friends and family hosted a celebration of life for Carpenter at Hendy’s in Dallas on Aug. 14, 2025. Following cremation, Chris’s family and closest friends will scatter his ashes in the waves in Maui.

Conclusion

Chris Carpenter’s life was a testament to his passion, generosity, and love for life. His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched and the businesses he helped build. As his friends and family continue to celebrate his life, they will remember him as a true original, a man who lived life on his own terms and inspired