Biff-Burger Closure: Restaurant Sign, Memorabilia Auctioned

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The days of Biff-Burger and its can't-miss big yellow sign in St. Petersburg are gone after 65 years serving locals.

If you drive by the 49th Street North location as of Wednesday, the sign no longer sits on top of faded Char-Broil with the flames underneath. The sign and other memorabilia such as vintage celebrity posters, tray carts, toasters and other trinkets were recently sold at auction.

According to Bay News 9, patrons who had been going there since kids in the 1970s showed up to the auction so they could preserve some of the items.

Jeff Francis told the TV outlet that the stuff in the old burger joint is priceless. He enjoyed going to Biff's with his family and his friends.

"They used to have the car shows here, the cruise-ins," he told the TV station. "Those were really fun."

The St. Petersburg location was the last to survive its 168 locations since the franchise opened in the 1950s, Biff-Burger's website said. Founders Bruce and Earl Brane opened the first restaurant location in Clearwater in 1956. Locations expanded from Florida to Toronto, Canada.

In the 1970s, the franchise allegedly ran into some financial issues and went out of business. Many of the closed locations were converted to Burger King. However, the St. Petersburg location stayed open until its recent closure in 2021. Biff stood for "Best In Fast Food."

The restaurant acquired a new owner, Justin Basil, over the summer. The building is expected to be demolished.

It might not mean goodbye forever though, in the Tampa Bay area. A Patch reporter noticed Wednesday morning a banner at the bottom of the well-known sign that said, "Watch For Biff-Burger New Location In 2022."

Patch will keep you updated if and when more information is released about that tease.