PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The owner of Munch's Restaurant and Sundries, which has been a St. Petersburg staple for 70 years, recently put the property up for sale and hopes the buyer will keep the iconic diner open.

"It's just a business to me that I love," said owner Larry Munch, 68. "I'm glad that people who are looking at it are wanting to keep the restaurant." 

Munch said his parents bought the Coquina Key property, located at 3920 6th St. S., in 1952 because the trolley line used to end at the intersection. Munch said his grandfather talked his parents into it.

"He said, 'that would be a good spot to put a little sandwich shop,'" said Munch. "There was nothing down here." 

Munch said at first his parents made sandwiches on the property and would sell them to workers building homes in the nearby neighborhoods. 

"It actually started out, where they were selling sandwiches out of the back of their station wagon," he said. "A light bulb went off in my mom's head and (she) said, 'you know, maybe we could run a restaurant here.'" 

Over the years, Munch has kept much of the diner's original decor. The owner said customers get into an uproar anytime he tries to make some changes.

"When I put in the new booths and everything, I heard for probably two years, 'oh, you're getting all fancy now,'" said Munch. "Then it dawned on me that you just can't make changes." ​

Both employees and customers have been loyal to Munch for decades.

"I've got people, fourth generation people, coming in here," he said. "It's a shame if it gets tore down or something like that. You just can't replace it." ​

Joyce Bryan, 84, said she worked for Munch's Sundries for three years when she first moved to St. Petersburg in her mid-20's. Bryan has been eating at the diner ever since. 

"They have to keep Munch's," she said. "They've got good food and I love it."

Munch's Sundries serves breakfast and lunch 7 days per week. One of the most popular dishes, the smoked chicken called Texas hash, was featured on Guy Fieri's show 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' on the Food Network in 2011.

"This is what they came to do was our Texas hash. Which we make here," said Munch. "You can't get it anywhere else. I hope not." ​

Munch said he's selling the family restaurant because he doesn't have any kids to inherit the cash only business. The owner said he's never taken a long vacation and a friend's recent death flipped the retirement switch in his head.

"We planned on going to the Keys and doing some stuff and he left here and two hours later he passed away," said Munch. "It took about a week or two and I thought what am I still doing here? Time to enjoy some life." 

"People ask me what am I going to do? I said, 'I don't know. I've never had 7 days off in a row before.' So, that'll be interesting," he said.

Munch said the one acre property has been on the market for a couple of months and comes with landlord rights to multiple tenants. It's being sold by Barkett Realty which has listed the price at $2.4 million.