As of Oct. 8, Walker’s Diner, located in downtown Farmville, has issued a for sale sign on the front of the building. The diner is listed at $250,000 through State Wide Realty, according to Margaret Atkins, a State Wide Realty realtor. The listing on State Wide Realty’s website states that the equipment and business will be sold along with the rights to the lot and building.
“I expect it to be sold soon, as it is under contract,” said Atkins.
State Wide Realty could not disclose the identity of the buyer.
Loretta Graham, assistant manager of Walker’s Diner, disclosed that she is in fact under contract to purchase the diner. Graham reiterated that if the sale went through, she would strive to keep it open.
“There were plenty of offers, but we stepped in first,” said Graham. “The diner, it’s not supposed to close, as far as we know. Me (Graham) and the cook are trying to buying it, we have it under contract. So we’re going to keep it open.”
The diner has been listed for sale in both 2011 and 2013 by the current owners, Arlene and David Mosher, who have owned the diner since 2007. Both times the listing was taken off the market.
“The owner went back to Delaware with her family, her daughter and grandchildren live there,” said Graham as to why the diner is for sale.
Walker’s Diner has operated in Farmville since 1974 and the lot has been in use as a diner since 1955.
In addition to the online listing, a video has been posted on YouTube highlighting the features of both the lot and the business.
Walker’s Diner has already gone through several owners over the course of its operation as a diner, according to the diner’s website. Walker’s is the fourth diner to occupy the lot since 1955.
The site upon which Walker’s sits and operates originally opened in 1955 as O’Neil’s Diner, named after the owner Paul O’Neil. O’Neil owned the diner, business and equipment but rented the space for the duration of his diner’s operation.
In 1960, the diner was sold by O’Neil to a new pair of owners, Elsie Roberts and Pearl Olcott, who renamed it R & O Diner. They operated it for about ten weeks before selling the business to Girdia and Lucretia Rhue, who renamed the diner again to Rhue’s Diner. Rhue’s diner operated until 1974, when it was bought out by Roland and Elizabeth Walker.
The Walkers renamed the diner to Walker’s Diner, as it is now known. In 1989, they bought the lot from the then-owners. In 1999, the Walker’s sold the diner to Anita and John Bollinger. The Bollingers operated the diner until 2007, when the sold everything to the current owners, Arlene and David Mosher.
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