Mixed emotions as Allegheny Township catering business Dobi goes up for sale
It’s not usually a good thing when someone cries at work.
But happy tears were at the ready recently for Nikki Miller, banquet coordinator at Dobi Catering and Take Out in Allegheny Township.
Miller was working last week when an elderly couple showed up to order the signature Dobi chicken, a company specialty since 1962.
“It was he and his wife’s 50th wedding anniversary and they had Dobi chicken on their wedding night, and they came in to have it on their 50th,” Miller said. “I just lost it. It was adorable.”
Dobi Catering, owned by married couple Annette and Don Herbst of Buffalo Township, was quietly put on the market for sale last fall.
The building is listed for $650,000, with the business and equipment being sold separately.
“The list price for the business is negotiable,” said Hanna Commercial broker Tom Jelepis, who is handling the sale.
Jelepis said even though the business and equipment are separate sales, the Herbsts hope to sell both at the same time.
The business will remain open while it’s up for sale.
Joining Miller as an employee of the family-focused business are her husband, Gary, and their son, Gage, 20.
The Millers have been a fixture at Dobi for 22 years. Now, with the business on the market, the Herbsts are hopeful a potential buyer continues the Dobi legacy of emphasizing customer service, fantastic food and family values.
“We always want to be nice and make the customers feel good,” Nikki Miller said.
Bittersweet decision
Both working professionals, the Herbsts said the decision to sell their catering business comes with mixed emotions as they prepare to enter retirement.
“It’s time to pass on the torch. Our daughter is graduating from college soon, and I want to see it succeed,” said Don Herbst, 62. “It’s tough. It’s very sentimental. I physically built this building — all 7,000 square feet.”
Every room has a different tile pattern, and large windows flood the casual dining room with natural light. Dine-in options are available despite the takeout name. The hand-laid tile designs extend to the bathrooms, and marble originally from the first Do-Bi home was repurposed in one of them.
“I’m sad and happy,” said Annette Herbst, 61. “Happy because we’re nearing retirement age, and sad because we’ve had this since we were pregnant with our daughter.”
The catering business is well-established in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
“We thrived in covid because we were always positioned for large-quantity takeout,” Don Herbst said.
The unusual name originated as Do-Bi in 1962, when two friends, the late Doris Biss and Dorothy “Bibs” Furin, went into business together, operating out of a small home on the property.
Don Herbst spent seven years completely remodeling, updating and expanding the building at 29 Angel Drive into a state-of-the-art catering kitchen and facility.
Co-listing agent Cathy Tresco of Hanna Commercial said the restaurant building is impressive.
“It’s an impeccable building and well-maintained,” Tresco said.
The more than 5,000 square feet of building and 2,000 square feet of storage space are located in the commercial corridor of Allegheny Township, near Kiski Area High School.
“Everything is homemade rather than being brought in and ‘flipped over,’” Miller said. “I love hearing the stories from all the customers. These are not just customers to me. This is family to me.”
She recalled a regular customer who recently came in to order Dobi chicken for her sick dog.
“The dog just loved Dobi chicken, and it was the dog’s last meal. I bought it for the dog because I love making my customers happy. And everyone loves that Dobi chicken,” Miller said.
The secret chicken recipe comes with the sale, and the Herbsts will assist a new owner during the transition if asked.
“We make it all here — from scratch — and the Dobi chicken has a signature seasoning we dust it in,” Don Herbst said.
Finger-licking goodness
The chicken rules the roost on the Dobi menu.
“Best tasting chicken this side of the Allegheny” is the slogan that accompanies the fresh, never frozen, chicken, which immediately is marinated before being dusted with spices and then smoked or deep fried.
Other Dobi must-haves include the homemade pierogi.
“They have such a following,” Annette Herbst said. “Our intentions are to keep the transition transparent, and the name has been here since 1962. That was a decision we made to keep the name. We just had to alter it a little bit for legal reasons — we got rid of the dash (in Do-Bi).”
The Herbsts said they have heard from a few interested parties, but nothing serious yet.
“I call them tire-kickers,” Don Herbst joked. “We don’t have a deadline to sell. We’re feeling the waters, and it’s time to pass the baton.”
To view the listing, click here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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