In 1965, the four Daoud brothers were embarking on a fast food journey that would soon embody the Great American Dream of owning a successful business. Working odd jobs and attending college, the brothers scraped together $1,200 and combined it with cash advances on vending machines to buy their first restaurant, Hamburger Heaven in Mt. Washington. Included with the restaurant was a recipe for Cincinnati-style chili.
With much tinkering and reformulating of the recipe, the brothers settled on what has become one of Cincinnati's classic tastes. To this day, the spice blend is a closely guarded secret that remains within the family. The brothers renamed the restaurant Gold Star Chili and opened two additional restaurants within a year responding to the chili's popularity. From the beginning, the Daoud brothers worked hard to put Cincinnati on the map with Gold Star Chili. They created a product to exacting specifications and perfected its preparation.
By the time the Cincinnati Reds were world champions in 1976, there were 21 Gold Star Chili locations. The year the Bengals went to their first Super Bowl there were 48, and in 1989, Gold Star opened its 100th location. In 1995, Gold Star Chili celebrated its 30th anniversary and in 1999 Gold Star Chili, Inc was named Small Business of the Year by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Also in 1999, Cincinnati Magazine crowned Gold Star Chili the winner in an independent blind taste test conducted by five star chefs among Cincinnati style chili chains.
Today Gold Star Chili continues to be a favorite location to enjoy the Cincinnati chili tradition and can be found in Cincinnati, Dayton, Middletown, Hamilton, Northern Kentucky, Lexington, and Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Gold Star also operates concessions at Paul Brown Stadium, Children's Hospital, and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. It is the patronage of our customers and the hard work of our franchisees and associates that have helped make Gold Star Chili successful. The Daoud families thank you.
Our History 
To this day, the spice blend is a closely guarded secret that remains within the family. The brothers renamed the restaurant Gold Star Chili and opened two additional restaurants within a year responding to the chili's popularity. From the beginning, the Daoud brothers worked hard to put Cincinnati on the map with Gold Star Chili. They created a product to exacting specifications and perfected its preparation.
Today Gold Star Chili continues to be a favorite location to enjoy the Cincinnati chili tradition and can be found in Cincinnati, Dayton, Middletown, Hamilton, Northern Kentucky, Lexington, and Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Gold Star also operates concessions at Paul Brown Stadium, Children's Hospital, and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. It is the patronage of our customers and the hard work of our franchisees and associates that have helped make Gold Star Chili successful. The Daoud families thank you.
