Meet Dorris Shober of Lupi’s Pizza Pies in Chattanooga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorris Shober.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Lupi’s Pizza Pies opened in 1996. There was no place yet in town to get a slice of pizza & beer, a need was recognized. All recipes created by & restaurant eclectically decorated by the founder. Downtown Chattanooga was ready for a restaurant such as Lupi’s & it did well from the day it opened its doors. The menu is simple, the food delicious!!! Our mantra is Quality, Consistency, Cleanliness, Teamwork & Respect.

We strive to give our customers an excellent pizza experience. We feel this is accomplished both by having excellent food & excellent customer service. Sourcing everything possible locally is a top priority for us. We have local ground beef, ground sausage, wheat flour, honey, cheddar cheese, eggs…. year round. We source the ground beef & sausage from several local farms including the owner’s farm, Flying Turtle Farm. During the local growing season, we purchase local veggies for the stores. About 3 years ago, we started growing our own vegetables & flowers at Flying Turtle Farm. We grow & supply to the store’s cucumbers, zucchini, green peppers, tomatoes, basil & flowers.

Since opening the first store in downtown Chattanooga, 4 more Lupi’s have opened. 3 are in suburbs of Chattanooga, one is in Cleveland TN just about 30 minutes north of Chattanooga.

Lupi’s also has a food trailer that we take each week to the Chattanooga Market. We also vend at local festivals, weddings & corporate functions.

Lupi’s has won best pizza in Chattanooga in 2 separate yearly polls year after year…… Times Free Press Best of the Best for 9 years & CityScope Magazine’s poll for 13 years!

Has it been a smooth road?
After opening the first store & having it be so successful from the start, the thinking was that it could be duplicated in the suburbs. The second store which opened in the Hixson community in 1999 was a bit ahead of its time. Practically no one in Hixson had heard of Lupi’s & we struggled for years. It was a great lesson in perseverance. The Hixson store is very strong now.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lupi’s Pizza Pies – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I think I probably covered this one before. As I stated before our menu is very simple. We have pizza, calzones, lasagna, salad, bruschetta, house-made fresh mozzarella appetizers, cookies & brownies.

We are known for having fresh quality food. We house make just about everything on the menu: the dough, the sauce, the bread, all the salad dressings, cook all the meats in house, hand chop (& inspect) all the veggies, homemade cookies & brownies.

The fact that we supply everything we can locally (& that we have a farm to supply our own veggies, beef & sausage) sets us apart from others.

I am most proud of the fact that everyone that works at Lupi’s treat each other with respect. Employees know that they are not going to be yelled at work by anyone. Work is a safe place where expectations are clear. Lupi’s is known for having an excellent hard-working friendly staff & that’s important to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lupi.com
• Phone: 423-266-5874
• Email: lupi@lupi.com

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.