Sam Sianis is 86 now but you can't keep him away from his famed Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, as seen on class Saturday Night Live skits, although he had to take a little hiatus during a COVID-19 lockdown.
“When I’m at the Billy Goat, I feel better!” owner of perhaps the most iconic restaurant and bar in the city told The Chicago Tribune as cheeboorgers-cheeboorgers are back for customers who missed them.
He was born in 1934, the same year the tavern was founded and he's been there since he was 21 years old.
One of his sons, Tom Sianis, said, “when COVID started shutdown mode, he went from not going there at all, until the last couple of months where he’s been going a few times a week, just to get out of the house and see the Billy Goat.”
Sam Sianis is hard of hearing, said his son, who also translated in Greek for his father. Regulars may be surprised by the hearing loss and need for translation, since he seems to understand want they want implicitly, even if it's Coke but they get Pepsi.