Skyline Chili is a company that owns and franchises its casual dining restaurants in a four state region. Its home office is located in Fairfield, Ohio. It has a menu which features a special secret recipe chili served on hot dogs and spaghetti. All the chili is shipped from the commissary and reheated and assembled into the menu items at the individual restaurants. The company, also, sells it chili and menu items packaged to grocery stores in its operating area.
A Greek immigrant, Nicholas Lambrinides, founded Skyline Chili in 1949. The restaurant was named Skyline Chili because the first restaurant was located with a skyline view of Cincinnati, Ohio. The family owned the restaurant until it was bought by an investment firm in 1997.The recipe for the chili is still a closely guarded secret.
Skyline Chili operates 150 restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, and Indiana. It has 1000 employees many of which are part-time. The chili and Coney dogs are beloved in Ohio. In fact, the chili is known to locals of Ohio as Cincinnati chili. Skyline chili is the chili of the Cincinnati Reds, the Cincinnati zoo, and many other cultural and civic organizations.
The company provides its full-time employees a benefits package that includes Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance, Life and Disability Insurance, a matching 401K, and paid vacation and sick leave. There is a minimum employment period for some benefits to start. Part-time employees do not receive these benefits, but have a chance to work in a fun and fast-paced environment. Workers report a good relationship with co-workers, and management promotes fun in a wholesome environment for all workers.
How old do you have to be to work at Skyline Chili?
The minimum age for entry level employees is 16 years old. The job application asks applicants if he or she is over 18 years old. The company will employ 16 year olds for some jobs, but they have to get a work permit from the state if it is required. Many high school students work for Skyline Chili as production workers, and servers.
Skyline Chili Careers
Skyline Chili employs about 1000 people. Most of these people work in one of the 150 restaurants, but others are employed at the corporate headquarters and at the Commissary. The main business is selling good food in a fun environment to customers. The company provides many young people their first job. Entry level jobs require little or no experience with training done on the job. These jobs are part-time, and have no benefits. Wages are paid on an hourly basis with starting pay at or close to the minimum wages. Management jobs are mostly full-time and are salaried. Management jobs get a benefit package. Below are some of the career opportunities.
Production Worker: The Production Worker makes the food ordered by the customer. The Production Worker assembles the Coney Dogs, and the other menu items at a steam table in full view of the customers. The Production ‘worker makes the food as ordered, and conveys to the customer how fun it is to be an artist in the making of the Coney dog. The company emphasizes the need for smiles and fun in the production of the food. The job requires the worker to know the menu items, and to make the food to the customer’s satisfaction. These entry level workers are trained on-site by management.
Kitchen Helper/Dishwasher: A Kitchen Helper/Dishwasher is a part of the Production crew that does not make the food. These workers help the rest of the team keep the kitchen area free of trash, and the utensils used for food production clean and ready for use. They help keep the restaurant efficient, and sanitary. Like other members of the team, they are part-time and are trained on-site. Management sets out for them how and when they do their cleaning jobs.
Cashier: A Cashier is responsible for taking money, giving back change, and running electronic payments for customers. The cashier is responsible for making sure that all money is accounted for at the end of his or her shift. The cashier is responsible for giving any tips charged on a customer’s credit card to the server it belongs to. Cashiers are entry level jobs, but management looks for people with good money and math skills for this job.
Server: A Server brings the food to the customer that ordered it. They bring drinks, and refill them when necessary. Servers must be friendly, efficient, and be good communicators. Servers are responsible for making customers have a good dining experience. Servers are responsible for answering customers questions, and resolving any customer problems with their food order. Servers work in a fast-paced environment, and must attend to the needs of many people at one time. Servers are an entry level job, are part-time, and are trained at the restaurant.
Shift Manager: A Shift Manager is responsible for making the shift run smoothly. Shift Managers are hourly employees. Servers and Production Workers are promoted to these jobs after some experience at the restaurant. Other Shift Managers are outside hires usually with some prior experience in restaurant work. The Shift Manager makes sure that the rules of the restaurant are followed by the people working that shift. A Shift Manager will help solve customer problems and complaints that can’t be resolved by the Production Worker or Server.
Assistant General Manager: The Assistant General Manager is assigned to a particular restaurant. The job is a salaried full-time position. The Assistant General Manager makes sure that the restaurant is profitable. This job requires an understanding of the profit/loss factors in the restaurant business. The Assistant General Manager understands the entire business of the restaurant, and makes sure that supplies and chili is shipped to the restaurant in the right quantity. This job is a full-time and salaried.
General Manager: The General Manager is responsible for the hiring of the restaurant workers. The General Manager knows the legal requirements involved in hiring employees. They are responsible for preventing any discriminatory practices in the business. General Managers prepare financial statements for the restaurant. They are responsible for payroll at the restaurant. They coordinate with upper management in making policy and procedures for the business as a whole. This job is full-time and salaried.
Regional Manager: A Regional Manager is part of the corporate team that hires management for individual restaurant. The Regional Manager staffs and supervises several restaurants in an assigned geographic location. They report directly to corporate headquarters, and must be able to prepare financial statements. They are involved in policy making within the company. They have extensive prior restaurant business experience, and usually have college degrees. The Regional Manager is a full-time and salaried job.
Sanitation Worker: The Sanitation Worker cleans the plant equipment at the Commissary where the chili is made. The Sanitation Worker must use the proper chemicals and make sure that the equipment passes any government inspections. Sanitation Workers must follow the company’s safety policies in handling chemicals and cleaning of heavy equipment. This job is usually full-time with some company benefits after a probationary period.
Shipping/Receiving Clerk: The Shipping/Receiving Clerk works at the Commissary. They read and fill orders for products being sent out on trucks to grocery stores. They are responsible for making sure the correct number of pallets of food is shipped out to the right places. The Shipping Clerk fills the orders for chili from the warehouse to the individual restaurants. The job is entry level and paid an hourly wage.
Skyline Chili Application
Application for all restaurant jobs are posted on the webpage. Commissary jobs may be posted on outside employment sites. The company requires the online application, It does not seek walk-in applicants.
The website posts all jobs. Jobs are posted by title and location. The applications for salaried and hourly jobs are different. The website makes it easy to fill out the correct application by providing a button linked to the application. The application requires basic personal information, and asks about education and experience. The application requires short answers to questions such as why you want the job, and what makes for a good server, manager, etc. The jobs for management take about 30 minutes to complete.
There is an upload button for a resume on the application site. Resumes should only add information. They can’t be used in place of filing out the form. Entry level jobs do not require a resume.
A person wanting a Server or Production Worker job should be friendly and confident at the interview. The company wants fun and personable workers. Smile at the interview. The interview is short and usually with the Assistant General Manager. The interview process for management is involved. There may be an interview with several people or more than one interview. Management should be knowledgeable about the restaurant, and be able to explain how they would fit in with the corporate practices.
Facts About Skyline Chili
The culture of the company and its restaurant is casual and fun. The company has been around for over 60 years in the Cincinnati area. It is well-known in the Ohio area and partners with sports teams and civic organization. It is, also, the chili of the amusement park, King’s Island. Area celebrities like Jerry Springer eat at Skyline Chili. Politicians stop there to eat while out campaigning. President Obama stopped to eat chili while in Cincinnati.
The restaurant runs promotional events which are featured on the website. The current promotion is a contest to win tickets to a Sam Hunt concert.
Skyline Chili is famous in the Ohio area for its chili. It is a secret recipe, and hasn’t changed since the original owner, Nicholas Lambrinides invented it. The Coney dogs topped with shredded cheddar cheese are a big seller. The packaged food is sold in almost all the local supermarkets.
The restaurant business is a big employer especially in the greater Cincinnati area. It contributes a lot of money to the economy. The company, also, ships from the Commissary chili to military bases overseas. The company helps promote civic pride in its partnerships with high school, college, and professional sporting teams. It advertises jointly with zoos and other cultural events that bring in tourist dollars.