The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fairfield will serve its final plates of mizithra-and-browned-butter spaghetti on Sunday, May 3, ending a 24-year run at its Gilmore Road address. When the lights go out at the trolley-seat booths, Ohio will officially be without a single Old Spaghetti Factory location, closing a quirky, nostalgia-filled chapter for local diners who say the shutdown feels abrupt even as the former mall site around it gears up for redevelopment.
Kim Davidson, the chain’s marketing director, told WCPO that the lease at 6320 South Gilmore Road was up for renewal and the company "made the difficult decision not to extend it." The Fairfield restaurant’s last day of service will be Sunday, May 3, giving staff and regulars only a short window for one more carousel of garlic bread, salad, and spaghetti before the doors close.
Chain roots and signature plate
The Old Spaghetti Factory traces its roots to Portland, Oregon, where Guss and Sally Dussin opened the first restaurant in 1969, according to the company’s history page on OSF.com. The brand still leans heavily on its long-running family recipe for spaghetti with mizithra cheese and browned butter, and the locations directory on OSF.com currently lists Fairfield at 6320 South Gilmore Road. Once Fairfield closes, anyone craving that signature mizithra plate will have to head to Louisville or Indianapolis for the nearest Old Spaghetti Factory outposts.
From downtown trolley to Gilmore Road
The Cincinnati area’s history with the chain goes back decades. The downtown Old Spaghetti Factory opened in 1978 and was demolished in 1998 as part of stadium-area construction, according to reporting by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Local coverage has also noted that the Fairfield restaurant sits just west of the long-vacant Forest Fair Mall property and lists the Gilmore Road address as 6320 South Gilmore Road. When the operation shifted from downtown to Fairfield, the chain brought along its trolley booths and a trove of antiques, details that regulars still point to as part of the spot’s charm.
Final weeks and what to expect
The company has publicly thanked the Fairfield community, saying staff and guests created many memories across the restaurant’s 24 years at the Gilmore Road location, according to WCPO. The chain’s website lists roughly four dozen U.S. locations overall, so devoted fans of the mizithra-and-browned-butter combo will still have options if they are willing to travel. In the meantime, the Fairfield dining room will keep serving through the first weekend in May before the final plates are cleared.
