Dine & Dash Food Truck Honors First Responders with Free 9/11 Breakfast Tradition
ASHLAND – As the morning sun crested over the eastern horizon, the familiar aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air outside the Ashland City Justice Center. Parked between the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office and the Ashland Police Division was the Dine & Dash Mobile Kitchen, where owner Chris Katsaris has quietly built a five-year tradition of gratitude—serving free breakfast to all first responders, active and retired.
For Katsaris, it’s not about publicity. It’s about people.
“Community serving the community is what makes Ashland someplace special,” he said, flipping pancakes while officers and deputies lined up for their morning meal.
Katsaris’ path to the Dine & Dash Mobile Kitchen began decades earlier. At just 16 years old, after his parents built Chris’ Family Restaurant in Bedford, he stepped into the family business and spent the next 25 years serving his community. The restaurant became known not only for its affordable, hearty meals but also for its generosity—holiday donations, discounts for those in need, and a constant commitment to neighbors were part of its foundation.
But after years of long hours and a long commute, Katsaris decided to sell the restaurant and build a food truck closer to home. “Now I make my own hours so I can spend time with the kids,” he said. “But I still run it like a restaurant. Everything’s ready, everything’s stocked. That way, I can focus on people, not logistics.”
For Katsaris, the 9/11 breakfast tradition is deeply personal. He was newly married and working in his Bedford restaurant the morning of September 11, 2001, when the first reports came over the kitchen radio.
“You never forget where you were at,” he recalled. “The radio went off, and I said, ‘This can’t be.’ Then I heard the second one. From then on, it stuck with me. Now that I have the truck and the ability, I try to keep the focus on it and don’t forget.”
Every September 11, unless an event pulls him away, he makes sure the Dine & Dash Mobile Kitchen is open and ready to serve those who protect and serve.
Retired Chief Deputy Carl L. Richert was among those who enjoyed breakfast this year. For him, it’s more than a meal.
“I think it’s a wonderful job. We’ve been doing this since 2020, and I’ve been lucky enough to be invited back every year,” Richert said. “You just can’t beat it. He donates back to the community. It’s for the first responders that go out there and work their butts off every day. I’m very proud of him. That’s what being American is—being a nice person. And that’s what he is.”
As plates were filled and conversations shared, it was clear Katsaris’ breakfast was more than food. It was a reminder that Ashland is a community where neighbors care, traditions are honored, and gratitude is never forgotten.
For Katsaris, it’s simple: “It’s just my way of saying thanks.”
