Daniel Auffenberg is the Chef & Owner of Dorothy’s Cocktail & Oyster Bar in St. Simons, Georgia. Daniel, a native of Tulsa, OK, always enjoyed cooking but never considered it as a career. Instead, Daniel decided to play it safe and get a business degree from TCU. After working in sales for a year, Daniel realized this was not the path for him. He quit his job and enrolled at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan.

After culinary school, Daniel secured a job at Gramercy Tavern where he worked many positions, including assistant butcher, where he honed his skills in whole animal butchery. Eventually Daniel decided to return to Texas and gain some front-of-house experience. He acquired a management position at a restaurant where he managed high volume shifts of 300-600 covers per night. It was during this time that Daniel met his wife, Claire. After some soul searching, Daniel decided to take a step back from the restaurant industry and put family first.

He got a job in restaurant real estate, representing restaurant owners and landlords in restaurant lease negotiations. During this time Daniel and his wife, Claire, were able to travel all over the world, which had a profound impact on the cuisine Daniel now cooks at Dorothy’s. Claire and Daniel eventually decided to move to St. Simons to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant. After many bumps and roadblocks, they finally opened Dorothy’s, named for Daniel’s maternal grandmother, in May of 2021.