Valerie Vail Robertson, Tammy Richards Vail and Patty Decker Estes were all born in Milo, Maine at the Milo Community Hospital...It is either by fate or coincidence that the three of them now own the former hospital and are operating businesses there.

Valerie owns and operates Hobnobbers Pub, a family restaurant that serves fresh made food with beer or wine to accompany the dishes. Valerie was born in Milo, graduated from Penquis Valley High in 1973, then attended the University of Maine in Bangor and graduated with a degree in Child Development and Mental Health. 

She married Kirby Robertson in 1975 and moved back to Milo. In May of 1976 she went to work at Smokey's Pizza, which was located in the building that formerly housed Reuben's Pizza, Papa Joe's, Nancy's Diner and Tammy's Pantry, where she also had worked in 1972 during her junior year of High School. In October of 1975, at the age of 22, she bought the business and began operating under the name of Val's Pizza. The business was a staple in Milo and during the 20 years it was open and employed over 100 high school students. Both of Valerie and Kirby's children grew up in the restaurant and worked there as teens. Katie and Ben now share their parents love of cooking and eating!! Valerie closed Val's Pizza in 1997 in order to help care for her terminally ill mother, Virginnia Stanchfield Stevens. In time, the building was sold to John and Barbara Crossman, who used it as part of their business, Milo True Value.

Valerie worked many jobs during the next few years, always working in the food industry, and always returning to her love of cooking. In 1999 she worked at the Eastern Agency on Aging and developed a new Milo based Meals for Me Program, working out of the Civil Defense Bunker on Sargent Hill Drive. She worked there until 2006 when she took a job with Melissa Ettinger as a dishwasher/Kitchen Prep/ Sou Chef at the newly opened Valerie Jean's American Bistro, named for Melissa's mom. Again fate seemed to be calling her as Valerie Jean is her name. When Melissa left to be the Chef at Clay Hill Farms in Ogunquit, Valerie leased the building and opened Hobnobbers, named after a section of Milo called Hobbstown and because the word means "To Gather with Friends". On September 14, 2008, after being opened just two weeks, Hobnobbers was robbed and then set afire by the thief. The fire quickly spread and burned all but two buldings out of the seven on that block of Main Street. A year later, to the day, Valerie opened her new Hobnobbers in the historical Community Hospital building and shares the space with her friends Tammy and Patty who operated hair salons. Please go and check out the amazing atmosphere, fine food and great service. It is worth a trip!