ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Fifteen dollars for a toaster, $100 for a sign. The goal today — to sell as much stuff from this old restaurant as possible before it’s demolished in the coming months.
But for Jeff Francis, the “stuff” in this old burger joint is priceless. “Well, we used to come here as kids. Dad would take us here once in a while to get a burger back in the 70s,” said Francis. He grew up coming to Biff’s, not just with his dad and brother, but also meeting up with friends after school.
“They used to have the car shows here, the cruise-ins. Those were really fun…and then they started a little flea market here,” said Francis, reminiscing about the iconic restaurant.
As the items clear out of this 65-year-old staple, the memories flood in.
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This is the last of the 168 locations throughout the Southeast. It’s now fallen victim to large chains and increased property costs, but Francis is determined to preserve its nostalgia. “The big sign right there, outdoors, that would be fantastic to have as memorabilia.”
Yes, he means the huge yellow, eye-catching sign along 49th Street North. If you grew up here, you know it.
“I just think that we need to have our history, local people need to know about these things and some of it needs to be preserved. Just being here, seeing some of my old time friends here, other long time St. Pete people, hoping they all get a trinket or two to take home,” said Francis.
It’s about allowing his history, and the history of so many others, to stay alive.