Lawless founded Gage Hospitality Group, which runs many local restaurants, including The Dawson and The Gage.
His family says he died Friday at 73 years old after suffering from kidney failure.
Lawless' son, Billy Lawless Jr., spoke with ABC7 on Monday night.
"He always looked out for people who had less than him. He treated everybody equally," he said.
Services for Lawless will be held Wednesday.