Doyle’s Fresh Meats in East Palestine Sells to Local Family

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – Doyle’s Fresh Meats and Deli will remain an East Palestine business after an auction bid Monday came from a local family.

Duane Doyle, who started and operated the business for 17 years, had been looking to retire and made the difficult decision to sell by auction after the train derailment had stymied his prior effort to sell the business.

“I could not be more pleased with the way things turned out,” Doyle said Tuesday. “They got a very successful business at a below-market price. It was the market price last night, but four months ago it sure wasn’t.”

However, the business will continue on, and that was the important thing for Doyle, who said he has been asked by the new owners to stay on at least part time for a while.

“I’m kind of torn,” Doyle said. “I’m probably happier for the community than for myself. … I’m not originally from East Palestine, but East Palestine will always be a part of me.”

Doyle prefers to let the new owners, who are brothers, make their own announcement about who they are and some of the new plans he has heard them considering for making the business even better. But he can say they are planning to continue to serve the East Palestine community, and that was important to him. He believes the business was successful because it was needed.

Doyle is going to continue owning the business until the end of June, and at least one of the employees has told him he plans to stay on as well.

Between 20 and 25 people came to Doyle’s for the Kiko Auction on Monday night, but only about five people seriously considered buying the business, Doyle said, adding that the rest were waiting to see what was going to happen. In the end, it came down to two bidders, and one, Doyle believes, got a chance to invest in the community.

Doyle optimistically believes East Palestine is going to recover, although business may be more difficult for some time with East Taggart Street still blocked off going into Pennsylvania while the railroad cleanup efforts continue several blocks east of the business. Doyle believes people will venture back into town and business will improve for the new owner when the work is completed. He also hopes Norfolk Southern will do what it has said it will do for the people and businesses here.

“I’m very optimistic things are going to improve,” Doyle said.

Pictured at top: Doyle’s Fresh Meat and Deli in East Palestine.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.