Local chili parlor celebrates 90 years

CINCINNATI - A local chili parlor chain that describes itself as "the mother of Cincinnati-style chili" turns 90 years old on Monday, during National Chili Month.

Empress Chili was founded in 1922 by brothers Tom and John Kiradjieff. The two Macedonian immigrants began their business by ladling their meat sauce for theater patrons and performers in a small shop next to the Empress Theatre in downtown Cincinnati.

Empress still serves its original recipe chili, which includes a secret blend of spices and no preservatives.

Empress Chili is available at several local food markets and diners, along with some independently-operated locations.

Although several variations exist on the recipe, Cincinnati-style chili typically is characterized by use of seasonings such as cinnamon, cloves and chocolate.

Cincinnatians consume more than 2 million pounds of chili each year, topped by 850,000 pounds of shredded cheddar cheese, according to the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau.