The original owner of Sharonville's The Rootbeer Stand has passed away.
According to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page, former owner Mick Ridenour died last night, Sept. 15, at age 93.
"Many of you have shared your memories of Mick and have inquired about his well being over the years. His daughter Sue Knight still spends her summers working at the stand as she did with her father for many years. We want to extend our deepest condolences to her family," the post reads.
Opened in 1957, this slice of Americana has become a summertime staple for the entire Cincinnati community and beyond.
The restaurant is well-known for their root beer, which is brewed with water drawn from a well on the property. With it's particular minerality, the root beer is so incredibly unique and flavorful you won’t regret buying an extra gallon for the road. The stand is also infamous for their footlong chili cheese dog.
The restaurant's ceiling is decorated with baseball caps. The legend goes that it all started when a trucker left his trucking company hat on the counter after he ate. The staff displayed his hat by the door so he could retrieve it the next time he dined in, but a rival trucking company saw this as an act of advertising nepotism, demanding they be allowed to display their hat as well. Like a classic slippery slope, the hats began to pour in from all sorts of folks who just wanted to contribute to the fun.
11566 Reading Road, Sharonville, therootbeerstand.com.
