CINCINNATI — Gus Miller doesn’t want to close his shop. He wants to tell me a story.
About Johnny Bench. Or Michael Douglas. Or George Bush.
Yes, the former president. Because the list of celebrities Miller has sold hats to is too long to recite here. Pictures of them take up most of the walls in his downtown shop.
"I make hats for more famous people — I think — than anybody," Miller said.
And yet he still wakes up at 4 a.m. to get ready for work. He doesn’t drive anymore, but his wife brings him every day. While telling me this, Rita Miller starts laughing. Because if she doesn't laugh, she'll cry.
“He just can’t wait to get down here,” Rita said. “He just doesn’t know anything different.”
She tells me he's 93. He tells me he's 94.
"It's a Greek thing," Rita said through more laughter.
She doesn’t work at Batsakes Hat Shop, but she’s here just as much as Gus. Mostly to keep an eye on him. After she tells me this, Gus stands up to greet a customer.
“There he goes,” Rita said. “He’s ready.”
WATCH: Go inside historic Cincinnati hat shop before it closes for good
Gus stands there so long talking to the customer, an employee brings him a cane. And 10 minutes later, that same employee brings him a chair.
He continues standing.
“Maybe this is the best medicine,” Gus said.
He's talking about working. Something he has a lot of stories about. Because he started working here when he was 17, sweeping floors and shining shoes before learning how to make hats from his uncle.
A few years ago, Gus told WCPO he wanted to run the store until he turned 100. He still wants to. But that’s not a reality anymore.
The store is closing in September.
His wife tells me it’s become impossible to pay employees and a recent loan put their family in a difficult financial situation. Rita takes a deep breathe and then asks why she's telling me all this.
“I get emotional about it, because it’s like just ripping his heart out," Rita said. “That’s been his life. He’s a craftsman.”
But Gus doesn't clean hats anymore. And they've already sold most of his equipment.
Eventually, he agrees to sit down. First, to show me some pictures on the wall. And then, to tell another story. A few minutes later, he walks to the window and sits in a different chair.
A longtime customer shakes his hand before leaving. Gus holds the man's hand and doesn't let go. He wants to tell him a story, too.
Then, Gus repeats something he’s already told me. Something I imagine he'll tell almost anyone who walks into the store before they close for good.
“Don’t count me out yet,” Gus said.
If you go:
Batsakes Hat Shop will remain open through the end of September. It is located Downtown at 197 E. 6th St.
