Gus Miller has spent a lifetime shaping hats and relationships in downtown Cincinnati. This week, both chapters come to an end.
Miller's Batsakes Hat Shop, a Cincinnati institution that has served customers for more than a century, will permanently close Sept. 30, ending one of the city's last remaining specialty retailers and concluding a 75-year career for its longtime owner.
Located at 197 E. Sixth St., Batsakes has been a fixture in the central business district since 1907, outfitting generations of customers with fedoras, dress hats and specialty headwear.
The hat shop formerly operated for 23 years at the corner of Sixth and Vine streets in the historic Terrace Plaza Hotel.
Downtown icon Gus Miller is honored as Batsakes prepares to close
The city of Cincinnati wants to make sure Miller's legacy will never
be forgotten.
On Sept. 23, City Council passed an ordinance calling for the intersection of Sixth and Vine Street to receive the honorary secondary name “Gus Miller Way.''
The ordinance, introduced by council member Jeff Cramerding, cites Miller's "contributions to Cincinnati and the downtown business community" through Batsakes Hat Shop.
"Batsakes was, and will remain, a quintessential part of Cincinnati history − and it's all because of one family's hard work and commitment to our community,'' Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement.
Batsakes' departure represents the end of an era and a rare trade.
Batsakes was among only a small handful of traditional hat shops that remain open in the United States, such as Meyer the Hatter in New Orleans andJ.J. Hat Center in New York City, alongside a small niche of independent custom makers found online
For Miller, 93, the shop's closing also marks the end of a journey that began thousands of miles away.
Miller arrived in Cincinnati from Greece in 1951 at age 17 after being invited by his uncle, Pete Batsakes, to help operate the family business.
Cincinnati hatmaker wondered if he would 'make it to America'
He still remembers the transatlantic voyage aboard an oil tanker and "wondering whether I would make it to America."
His apprenticeship began immediately.
The day after arriving, Miller was sweeping floors inside the hat shop at its original location on the corner of Sixth and Walnut streets, where the Contemporary Arts Center is now located.
Under the guidance of artisan Barney O'Neill, he learned the craft from the ground up, mastering the specialized tools and techniques used to clean, block and shape hats by hand.
Over time, Miller became the face of Batsakes, taking over full operation of the store in 1973. He developed a reputation as one of the nation's last traditional hatters, attracting a jaw-dropping client list of world leaders, music legends and sports icons.
His client list included comedian Redd Foxx, opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and local baseball legends Pete Rose and Johnny Bench.
Miller served presidents and neighbors alike
According to Miller, Foxx came into his shop one day and introduced himself in Greek.
"He said he could say his name in more than 20 languages,'' Miller recalled, referring to Foxx. "I was impressed. We became good friends.''
Most of Miller's clients were regular, everyday people who valued both his craftsmanship and conversation. And Miller treated them all with warmth, respect and genuine affection, whether they were celebrity millionaires or people who simply walked in off the street.
"You treat your customers well, and they will put bread on your table,'' Miller told an Enquirer reporter.
Yet even a loyal following could not shield the business from broader changes in the retail landscape.
A hatter’s remarkable run comes to a close
While Batsakes maintained a devoted customer base, rising operating expenses and declining downtown foot traffic made it increasingly difficult to remain viable.
Adding to those challenges, the shop never fully recovered from a forced relocation from its longtime home beneath the historic Terrace Plaza Hotel, according to Miller.
After spending nearly eight decades in the hat business with his wife, Rita Miller, by his side, the couple stood behind Batsakes' hat counter with a look of melancholy on their faces.
When asked what they were going to miss most about the business, the couple replied in unison: "The people."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: After more than a century, beloved Batsakes Hat Shop hangs it up
