In 1965, the four Daoud brothers made good on their 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 the Mt. Washington neighborhood. Included with the restaurant was a recipe for Cincinnati-style chili. With much tinkering and reformulation of the recipe, the brothers settled on what has become one of Cincinnati’s classic tastes.
To this day, the spice blend that gives Gold Star Chili its unique flavor is a closely guarded secret that remains within the family. The brothers created a product to exacting specifications and perfected its preparation and in doing so, created one of Cincinnati’s most iconic brands.