Passing The Torch At Sobies

A local butcher shop can feel like a utility until you realize it’s also a meeting place, a fundraiser engine, and a thread that holds a neighborhood together. That’s why the ownership transition at Sobie Meats in Walker, Michigan matters, and why we wanted to talk about it while it’s still fresh and real. Host Nicole DiDonato is joined by original owner Tim Sobie and new owner Amy Jones for an honest look at what changes, what stays, and what it takes to protect a community institution. 

Tim shares the personal turning point that made retirement urgent, how he and his family thought through selling versus closing, and why Amy felt like the right person almost instantly. Amy opens up about stepping into the meat industry from a different background, learning quickly, and leading with humility while the existing team keeps the day-to-day running strong. One of the biggest takeaways: continuity is built on people, and this handoff works because the staff stays, the culture stays, and the trust stays. 

We also talk about community giving as part of the Sobie's identity, from supporting first responders and veterans to Amy’s passion for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan and Beautiful You by Profile. Looking forward, Amy wants to keep the hometown feel while exploring careful modernization, including potential online ordering that doesn’t erase the in-store experience. If you care about small business succession planning, local food, and what keeps Walker’s local businesses thriving, this conversation will stick with you. 

Subscribe to Maiden Walker, share this with a neighbor who loves local businesses, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the local shop you’d fight to keep in your community?

If you have comments about this podcast, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [e-mail]

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_02 (00:07):
Welcome to Maiden Walker, a podcast that connects
you to the people, the stories,and the ideas shaping our
community.
From local innovators toeveryday change makers, we're
diving deep into what makesWalker a great place to live,
work, and grow.
Here's your host, NicoleDiDonato.

SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
Soby meets more than just a local butcher shop.
It has really become a specialplace for the city of Walker and
really much of the West Side.
It's going through a transitionand here to talk about that
transition, what happens next,even what stays the same.
We have original owner Tim Sobeyand new owner Amy Jones.
Thank you both so much formaking time out of your busy

(00:46):
schedules to meet with us.
Thank you for having us.
Yes.
Very exciting.

SPEAKER_03 (00:50):
Your schedule is way busier than mine.

SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
Right now, you are just easing out into retirement,
Tim.
So all this, we we'd heard thenews maybe late last year, late
2025.
Now all that's kind of becomingreally um really real now.
What made you want to kind ofyou know step away after 22
years or so?

SPEAKER_03 (01:09):
Uh probably the biggest thing a couple of years
ago is um it was publicknowledge had heart issues, and
thought, man, if I'd havechecked out at that time, left
everything to Teresa, um, thatwould have been quite a bit.
So we've kind of been thinkingabout selling anyway.
And then this opportunity cameup just this last year with Amy.

SPEAKER_01 (01:31):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (01:31):
So uh made it all work out great.

SPEAKER_01 (01:33):
Yeah.
And after speaking with Amy,what was it about her that made
you feel like okay, this wouldbe a comfortable transition for
us?

SPEAKER_03 (01:40):
Probably within about three seconds, you love
Amy.
If it takes that long.
And just the first meeting thatwe had, even just to discuss
that, and we left there.
I mean, we didn't even leave themeeting, and Teresa and I are
like, we love that girl.
Like, that's somebody that'sgonna that has a passion um of

(02:01):
future things to go.
She's got some great ideas offuture growth for so we meet.
So I think she's gonna take thatto the next level anyway.
But she just has that naturalwarming characteristic about
her.

SPEAKER_01 (02:17):
Yes, yeah.
The important thing about youtoo is that you're both family
businesses, Amy coming off ofkind of almost four generations
of Andy Egan, correct?
Yes, right.
Yeah, we're the fourthgeneration.
Yes.
And so going from thatconstruction background into um,
you know, entrepreneur spiritsas well, what has that
transition been like?
And what was it about Sobiesthat drew you to them?

SPEAKER_00 (02:36):
Um, so prior to the fall, or I mean late fall, I
didn't really Sobies was not onmy mind by any means.
And it was a mutual friend,pretty much, or um acquaintance
that kind of put us in contact.
And it was similar to how Timsaid, like within the first,
well, the first meeting, thefirst few minutes, I'm like, if

(02:57):
you know Tim and Teresa, like Ijust fell in love with them.
And I'm just like, okay, I knownothing about the meat business,
but here we go.
I think it's gonna be part ofthe bigger plan and the bigger,
you know, vision, maybe.
Um, and then coming fromconstruction, there's you know,
some commonalities, but it it isdefinitely a different industry,
that's for sure.
Of course.

SPEAKER_01 (03:15):
What are you learning about um the meat
industry, the butcher shop?
Oh gosh.
I'm sure there's a lot thatsurprised you.

SPEAKER_00 (03:21):
There's a lot, and I'm still learning.
Uh the team is fantastic andthey're so patient with me.
And I'm just trying to stay outof the way.
And yeah, there it's just anamazing team there.

SPEAKER_01 (03:30):
And that's the important thing too, is uh when
you think maybe about changingownerships as far as businesses,
what's gonna happen to thestaff.
So what were you able to makehappen?

SPEAKER_00 (03:38):
Uh no one has left.
Um, and that was very importantbecause it is uh it's a fan,
well, it is a family company andit's a family feel there, and
everybody is just fantastic.
And um, so far, like I said, thebiggest thing I can do is just
stay out of the way.
They got it covered,everybody's, you know, doing
great, and it's just going alonglike it always has.

SPEAKER_01 (03:57):
Yeah.
And Tim, you're kind of easinginto retirement, not fully out
of the the um the shop just yet,kind of sticking around doing
some things.
How is that transition going?
And is it gonna be tough to, youknow, not walk in there for a
full week, a month uh down theroad?

SPEAKER_03 (04:12):
I'm I'm kind of getting used to it.
And for many years, this is thisis my analogy is you know, as as
kids, you were on the merryground and you run, then you get
on, and you're your friendpushes you on the merry ground
and it gets going really fast.
Now you're going, how do you getoff without getting hurt, right?
You jump off.
Um, so this part has been reallynice to start kind of sliding

(04:37):
out and not just okay, yousigned the papers, you left on
Saturday, and then you're alldone on Tuesday.
This has really been nice tokind of slow down a little bit
instead of just stop.

SPEAKER_01 (04:49):
Yes, yeah.
And and you've got I'm gettingused to it though.
Thank you.
You know, we want you to enjoythat retirement.
But um, and you've done so much,giving back so much to the
community as well.
You also support local growers,farmers, small businesses too.
Um, looking back at 22 years,what uh what are some of the
things that you're proud of?

SPEAKER_03 (05:08):
Um Teresa and I were not ones to say, you know, look
what we did, right?
But there's a great sense ofaccomplishment helping whether
it's an organization or just afamily, you know, there's cancer
hits, you know, you have afundraiser.
And I think that's probably oneof the things that has been the

(05:31):
nicest is to be involved thatway.
It might sound corny or cheesy,but it's the truth, and um
helping out other other onesthat need help, right?
And um so it that feels a littlebit different as ones that come
in every year because they havetheir regular fundraiser and
we're not the ones at the helmof the ship.

(05:52):
It's kind of like, okay, leaveyour hand off, you know, you
don't have anything to do withthat now.

SPEAKER_01 (05:57):
Yes, yes.
You've evolved the the place somuch too.
So Amy, what are some of yourpassions that you're excited to
kind of bring to Sobies andlooking into the next Yes as far
as like the charities andorganizations and things like
that?

SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
Definitely want to keep what Tim and Teresa have
been going, you know, have beendoing over the years with the
first responders and veteransand things like that.
That's so important and means alot to me as well.
So I want to continue thoseefforts for sure.
Um a couple other ones that I'mum you know passionate about is
um the Make a Wish Um Foundationof Michigan.
So um I do a lot with Make aWish.

(06:32):
Um and then also Beautiful Youum by profile.
So that's a local, very localorganization and um charity over
on Alpine there and helping outwomen and children um with that
are going through the cancerprocess and whatnot and kind of
spoiling them for the day andgiving them the appointments
that they look forward to uminstead of maybe those, you
know, the pokes and theprocedures and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 (06:55):
Yes, yeah.
That's such an integral part, itseems, that that Sobies has
really become is just kind of uhcaring for the community more
ways than one.

SPEAKER_03 (07:02):
So then did you have maybe somebody in the family
that helped beautiful you getstarted?

SPEAKER_00 (07:06):
Yeah, so beautiful you it is more um so my mom
helped out um a little bit withthe the um women that um founded
it and whatnot.
And so is a longtime friend.
Um, and just when the time came,it it worked out, and my mom was
able to be part of that.
And so now there's a the wigroom is named after my
grandmother who um did gothrough some cancer um stints

(07:29):
through you know in her life.
And so it is more of a umpersonal uh organization too,
that just and they're doinggreat things, so want to support
them.

SPEAKER_01 (07:38):
Yeah, that was wonderful to hear.
And um a little bit of uh aconnection between you know the
wig room, but also anotherventure that you have too is
Benji Salon, also in Walker,Standale in particular.
Um two very differentbusinesses, you know.
So um, but again, at the at thecore, business is probably all
you know, you run it the same,but what's that been like in
balancing those two umopposites?

SPEAKER_00 (07:59):
Well, the um salon came uh a few years ago, 2022,
um, and that was a passionproject.
It was uh me and a couplegirlfriends and um really
brought it to life.
And again, I know nothing abouthair, I know nothing about that
industry, and it has again it'sall about the people.
And and it's an amazing group ofwomen there um that really run

(08:20):
it and on the day-to-day things.
And then I have a dance studioin Marne, and same thing, a
great um set of people there umthat's running that.
So, you know, dance, hair, andmeet, you know, they don't
necessarily go together, but itthis is where we're met.
So here we go.
Yes, lots of things to to learn.
That's gonna be exciting.
It is, you know, it's extremelyexciting.

(08:40):
And again, it's just uh I'vebeen so fortunate because it is
all about the people.
And so now, I mean the peoplethat I'm learning I'm meeting
and getting it to know at Sobiesis just it's broadening that
network, and it's it's justgreat.
It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 (08:53):
And Tim, how did you kind of break the news to your
uh workers as well?
Uh again, being just sotight-knit, just you know,
there's a new mom coming in orso, you know, new parents taking
over.
How's that?

SPEAKER_03 (09:05):
Well, Amy was willing to be thrown under the
bus.
So I was there.
Yeah.
So um so we took a Saturday, uh,the end of the day, and this is
this is pretty big, right?
And um, so we wanted to telleverybody firsthand and
introduce Amy to the wholestaff.
So ones that weren't working onthat Saturday, we called

(09:27):
everybody up, gave them theopportunity to stop in, and um,
we're having a team meeting thatwas shortly before Christmas,
just a couple weeks ahead oftime.
So I think everybody wasfiguring, yeah, well, okay, what
are the hours we're working, youknow, because well, there's
other things you do behind thescenes that uh the community
doesn't see.
So had the meeting andintroduced Amy, and you know, it

(09:51):
was a little bit of pull to pinthrough the grenade in the room.

SPEAKER_00 (09:54):
And I was expecting more of a like explanation when
he just like first things out ofhis mouth.
I'm like, oh, here we go.
Okay, this is this is happening.
Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 (10:03):
Yeah, you got a Christmas miracle, you got a new
boss.

unknown (10:06):
That's what it was, too.

SPEAKER_00 (10:07):
Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (10:09):
You know, succession planning is just it is very
important in business.
And was there a time where youwere just wondering, you know,
what your options would be?
Would you close up, or how didthat look when you're you know
thinking about retirement?

SPEAKER_03 (10:21):
Um being a business owner, I you know, if you don't
sell, then you're just closingup.
So certainly you have a betterretirement package if you can
sell, right?
And I know through the years,customers come in when are you
gonna retire?
Well, we we got a monkey on ourback first, right?
Yeah, and we have to sell thebusiness before we can retire.

(10:44):
And um, this the whole thing, II just thank God, you know, just
he was the one he wasinstrumental that just using
he's the puppeteer that put ustogether and made it all happen.
And it's nothing less than a Godthing that the right person is
coming in and uh keeping ourwhole staff, and it's just

(11:06):
incredible.
Deals like this don't happenevery day, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
And as fast as it happened, correctly.
Yeah, like six weeks.
Yes.

SPEAKER_03 (11:14):
You can't buy a house in six weeks.

SPEAKER_00 (11:16):
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (11:17):
Yes, love that it's you know, being kept local,
that's so important as well.
Very much so.
Um, Tim, we had you back on apodcast uh uh earlier last year,
and um I was mentioning to youit it's cons people are can
continuously downloading it.
So your story really resonatedwith a lot of folks.
They love hearing about that,how you got your start.
Um, what does that feel like?
Just knowing that there was somuch community support for you,

(11:40):
and you built that up, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (11:41):
Yeah.
And well, back in the day, I waslike thousands of others, laid
off from steel case.
Uh Teresa was downsized fromheart for an insurance after 27
years.
And so we really started fromnothing in the community that
embraced us and have supportedus for 22 years.
There, there's nothing likethat.

(12:03):
And I think part of that storyis um the old saying is when a
door closes, a window opens,that no matter what happens in
life, there's hope, right?
Keep the faith, there'ssomething out there, he won't
let you down.
So I think maybe that'ssomething that people can
connect to also.

SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
That perspective.
Yeah.
And so looking forward, what isuh something you're looking
forward to in retirement?
A couple uh new people.

SPEAKER_03 (12:29):
Be in the grounds keeper, right?
Amy knows that.
So you know, and tell Theresa,hey, there's a stick on the
trail, you know, I gotta go,gotta go pick that out.
So, you know, just kind of spendmore time up north.
Uh, we got a couple trips thatuh that we want to do this year.
And um one actually we havetraveling friends who've been
trying to do this for likethree, four years now, is to go

(12:52):
to Maine and then up into NovaScotia.
And um, I don't know if I cansay it or not.
Well, yeah, it's it's yourpodcast, but um the the show on
History Channel, the Curse ofOak Island, um, real watchers of
that show.
And a year ago, Christmas, ourkids got us um a trip to go out
to the island.
So so in Nova Scotia, then we'lldo a boat trip.

(13:15):
And um, so we just talked to theguy day before yesterday to book
it, and there's another thingthat you didn't do a tram on the
island, so it's like can't wait.
Can't wait.
So they're gonna they're gonnafind the treasure while we're
there.

SPEAKER_01 (13:28):
So oh my goodness, wonderful.
Good for you.
You deserve that, and then Amylooking forward as well, kind of
where do you picture things?

SPEAKER_00 (13:36):
Or thinking big picture a year from now or so,
but I know it's and yes,hopefully in a year, and I've
said this to multiple people atthe store.
All right, I'm hoping in a yearI'll have more uh opinions and
maybe input right now.
I'm just soaking it in andtrying to be a sponge and just
learning it.
Um and maybe in a year therewon't be a change in the feel of

(13:58):
the store.
Don't want to change any ofthat.
The um the local feel, thecustomer interaction, the um
just the hometown part of it.
It's that's not going anywhereor whatever.
But maybe in a year there mightbe some other, you know,
additions, maybe some kind oflike online ordering or things
like that.
So it doesn't change the storefeel, but maybe some more
modernization type things.

(14:19):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 (14:20):
Yeah, wonderful.
Well, it's been such a pleasurehaving you both in studio and so
happy to see that Sobies willcontinue thriving and being that
vibrant community hub that themayor likes to talk about, that
pulse check, one of the placesin Walker you could really go
meet your neighbors, find outwhat's going on in the
community.
So happy retirement to you, Tim.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (14:38):
Appreciate you having us in.
Yes, thank you.
Beautiful bloody Mary.
Thank you, Nicole.

SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
Yeah, we treat we treat our guests right now, my
goodness.
So it's been a pleasure.
And thank you both so much.
Or thank you for tuning in too.

SPEAKER_02 (14:50):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of
the Maiden Walker Podcast.
If you have comments orquestions about this podcast, or
if you have suggestions forfuture episodes, we'd love to
hear from you.
Please drop us an email atpodcast at walker.city.
Maiden Walker is the officialpodcast of the city of Walker,
Michigan.

(15:10):
You can find Maiden Walkerwherever you get your podcasts.