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Updated: January 6, 2025 @ 4:51 am
Ott’s Drive-In owner Duane Smith takes a selfie with some of the staff at the restaurant in Rantoul.
Ott’s Drive-In owner Duane Smith takes a selfie with some of the staff at the restaurant in Rantoul.
At 2 p.m. Fridays, our Kathy Reiser answers restaurant questions. Put her to the test by clicking here or email kreiser@news-gazette.com.
Each week, we chop it up with the folks responsible for dishing up food around the area. What restaurant should we try next? Let Joey Wright know at jwright@news-gazette.com.
Ott’s Drive-In in Rantoul has been under new ownership for nearly four months.
But it’s been smooth sailing for Duane and Jennifer Smith, who are long familiar with the six-decade staple’s popular offerings.
“We bought a 62-year-old icon,” Duane Smith said. “And what we want to do is we want to maintain that business’ iconic nostalgia, but at the same time add a little flavor, a little pizzaz to everything. And it seems to be working very well.”
Going out to eat wasn’t something Duane or Jennifer necessarily did often growing up. Both come from large families.
But trips to Ott’s — which was first sold in 2021 when Tony and Ashley Grillo gave the reins to Carrie Hennigh and Linda Carico — were always something to look forward to.
“We had the opportunity to buy it (in September, 2024), and it was kind of a no-brainer for us,” Duane Smith said. “It was the best thing for us to do at the time.”
The Smiths’ learning curve has been helped by a dedicated staff that includes longtime fixtures Deb Capito and Scott Bemount.
“We say that Deb and Scott came with the building because they’ve both been working there for 40 years,” Duane Smith said. “I can’t say that I can single out anybody after that, but our entire wait staff and our cooks all do a phenomenal job.”
As for what Duane Smith recommends from the menu? That’s an easy answer.
“Our biscuits and gravy, I feel, are some of the absolute best in the area,” Duane Smith said. “That would include our biscuits and gravy, the haystack, (and we also have) our Ott’s burger and our new Hangover burger.”
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