STOW, Ohio — With all due respect to William Howard Taft, Nick Lachey and Graeter's Ice Cream, Skyline Chili is Cincinnati's most famous export. And despite being located in the middle of Cleveland Browns country, even the restaurant chain's location in Stow, Ohio, has seen an increase in business thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals' upcoming appearance in Super Bowl 56.
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"Are you kidding me? We're getting crushed," Greg Hericks, the owner of the Stow location franchise told 3News on Friday. "We normally don't get any call-in orders. We've had a huge increase in our sales. We've probably got 15-18 orders I'm looking at in my office for anywhere between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday. We're rocking and rolling.
A native of Lakewood, Hericks' family's Cincinnati roots have kept him connected to the Queen City. And while that meant growing up around Cleveland sports fans -- "I was a Reds fan in Lakewood and got beat up a lot," he says -- he said his restaurant has built a loyal following from Cincinnati transplants and Northeast Ohioans alike.
The Bengals' run to the Super Bowl, however, has left many Cincinnati natives in the area with a taste for their hometown. Fortunately for them, Hericks' restaurant is taking call-ahead orders -- and doing so at a pace he has never previously seen.
"I've owned it for five years and been involved with it for seven," Hericks said. "Usually, Super Bowl Sunday, we don't have any orders. We're selling coneys and three-ways like they're going out of style.
"It's a following that's second to none with Skyline."