The Doo-Dah Diner will be closing after more than ten years of providing mouthwatering comfort cuisine and a relaxed, humorous, and friendly ambiance to the Wichita community and tourists from all over the world.
Due to chef Patrick’s health issues, the diner’s founders, Patrick and Timirie Shibley, made the decision to sell it. His prostate cancer is in stage 4. The cafe will be acquired by partner Pat Reilly and longtime patrons Jeff and Jay Miller.
The restaurant will have a “Shibley Sendoff” with a buffet spread on the 14th to commemorate the transition, which is scheduled for June 16; on the 15th, there will be a Father’s Day feast.
After opening Doo-Dah Diner in 2012, the Shibleys gained recognition in the neighborhood food scene for their menu and close ties to the local community.
In 2017, they were named Restaurateurs of the Year by the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association (KRHA). In 2020, Timirie was appointed Chairman of the KRHA Board, a position he has held for more than ten years.
“Doo-Dah Diner isn’t just a restaurant – it is an extension of who we are,” Patrick stated. “Every dish is rooted in love, every detail mattered, and nothing made us happier than watching someone’s eyes light up with the first bite. That joy – that connection – is why we worked so hard. Pleasing people wasn’t a goal. It was the reason we opened the doors every morning for 12 years.”
The Doo-Dah Diner’s heritage will be carried on by Jeff and Jay Miller, who have been patrons for a long time and are now restaurateurs. They have established a solid reputation as devoted Wichita residents and extreme foodies throughout the years.
The three Five Guys Burgers & Fries restaurants in the Wichita area are owned and run by them and their partner, Pat Reilly.
“We are deeply honored to continue Patrick and Timirie’s vision for Doo-Dah Diner,” Jeff Miller stated. “The diner is a place that means so much to so many people, including us. We are committed to preserving the warmth, the flavor, and the atmosphere that everyone loves about Doo-Dah. We’ve been in the restaurant training under Patrick and Timirie for the past several weeks so that the ownership transition will be seamless.”
With Timirie’s background in sales and marketing and Patrick’s previous restaurant management experience, the Shibleys opened the restaurant with their distinct professional experiences.
As a second-chance employer, the Millers intend to carry on the Shibley family’s tradition of being a community leader by giving jobs to those in recovery from addictions and criminal histories.
“We packed a lifetime of memories into the 13 years we owned this treasure,” Timirie stated. “Our moms sat together in a booth and rolled silverware while telling stories. Our daughters literally grew up working in the restaurant. I even hired my ex-husband to help manage the front of house.”
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“So many magical moments happened here,” Timirie added. “Customers became our family, like Richard Holmes. He peddled up on his bicycle in our first couple of months after we opened, and then dined with us 5-7 times a week from then on. He has since passed, but he took the time to write about all the folks he met while sitting at our breakfast counter. Those Counter Chats by Richard Holmes live on our website. It’s quite the collection of interesting people. I was honored to be able to visit Richard in his final days. His passing left a huge hole in the heart of the diner.”
The Doo-Dah Diner has won numerous local and national honors over the last 13 years. Most notably, Yelp named the restaurant one of America’s Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in 2023.
(The eatery came in at number 69.) In addition to visiting performers with Music Theatre Wichita and ESPN play-by-play broadcasters in town to cover Shocker basketball, the café has served meals to celebrities like Theresa Caputo, Harrison Ford, and Henry Winkler.
Over the years, the Shocker teams—mostly the men’s basketball team—have had numerous team lunches delivered by the Doo-Dah Diner.
