“We show them (customers) a good time,” Keilholz said. “It is entertaining. It can be pretty crazy sometimes.”
The Washington Twp. resident’s restaurant is located at 8906 Kingsridge Drive, near the Dayton Mall.
Keilholz slides chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans on plates with ease.
That should be no surprise.
Save for five years, the Cincinnati native has worked for or owned Skyline restaurants since 1966.
His wife Cynthia is the granddaughter of Skyline founder Nicholas Lambrinides.
Keilholz, who spent four years in the Navy, plans to turn his restaurant over to his son Chris in the near future. The family relocated their franchise from 39 S. Springboro Pike in 2003.
Skyline has become a regional favorite since Lambrinides, an immigrant from Kastoria, Greece, opened the first store in 1949 overlooking Cincinnati’s skyline.
There are now more than 130 Skyline locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Florida and Indiana, including 11 in the Dayton area. About half of those are franchises.
Most dishes include Skyline’s signature cinnamony chili sauce.
Keilholz’s store goes through about 100 gallons of chili sauce and 700 pounds of cheese a week.
The location sells 3,500 to 4,500 cheese coney hot dogs a week.
Not everyone likes Skyline Chili, but many of those who do are fanatics who don’t need to look at a menu because they know exactly what they want.
“It is comfort food,” Keilholz said. “I eat it everyday. I never get tired of it.”
Know the ways:
3 — Way: Steaming spaghetti, covered with chili and topped with a mound of shredded cheddar cheese.
4 — Way: A 3-Way with diced onions or beans.
5 — Way: A 3-Way with diced onions and beans
Tell us why you like Skyline Chili?
Contact this columnist at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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