Tobe sells Cupboard

After 13 years as owner of The Tin Cupboard, Gail Tobe is hitting the road.

The Fort Recovery restaurant owner has decided to give up ownership of her deli and become a “snowbird.” She’s leaving Aug. 21 to stay the fall and winter with her son, C.J., who lives in Palm Springs, California. Oh, and she’s driving the whole way there.

“My girlfriend’s retiring two days before that, and we’re going to do a road trip,” Tobe said. “Take like two weeks, stop and see everything, then she’ll stay in Palm Springs for a few days and fly back.”

She’s enjoyed her time in the restaurant business, getting to talk with customers and making lifelong friends. But after mulling over the decision to sell and move for two years, Tobe decided it was finally time to relax.

“I had (The Tin Cupboard) 13 years and I am a 19-year cancer survivor, so I decided I’m going to kick back … instead of working 70 hours a week,” Tobe said.

The business went up for sale in May, and new owner JoAnne Glentzer took an interest almost immediately. The transaction was finalized on Monday; Tobe, who has been training Glentzer for the past two weeks, had her last day Friday.

The most difficult part about selling the business and heading west is leaving behind her family and friends, Tobe said. Her four other children live in the area, along with nine grandchildren and one on the way. Many of her employees have also been working with her since she bought the place.

“Leaving my other kids and grandkids was a big drawback and then my girls here too, because they’re like family, we’ve been together so long,” Tobe said. “I’m going to stay there until like April, if I can stand being away from my other kids and grandkids back here then I might relocate (to Palm Springs).”

In the meantime, Tobe plans on starting fresh during her winter away. She’s moved out of her rental house and is getting rid of almost all her belongings. If Tobe does decide to move back to Fort Recovery, she said plenty of friends have offered her a place to stay while she finds another job.

“This is all done now. I’m getting rid of everything,” Tobe said. “All I’m going with is a few mementos, pictures and clothes.”

Soon, she’ll pack up her remaining belongings and begin the drive. Tobe and her friend will be traveling on Interstate 40, which runs east-west from North Carolina to California, and plan to stop often along the way. Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon are two of the main attractions they’ll be visiting during their two-week road trip, and they’re planning a stop in Amarillo, Texas.

She’s confident the new owners will do a good job with the place — they plan to open in the mornings to serve specialty coffee drinks, which Tobe said is “a great idea.” While she said she’ll miss all her friends, she’s ready for something new.

“It’s going to be a big change of life for me — big, big. But it’s going to be a good one,” Tobe said. “It’s been fun. I have no regrets whatsoever.”