SHARON, Pa. – After 14 years in business, Donna’s Diner permanently closed Monday afternoon.

A traditional 1950s-style railroad car diner, the restaurant had become a landmark in the city’s downtown. It had been for sale for several months, but a buyer had yet to be found.

The owners, Karen Winner Sed and the Winner family, still hope to sell the business to someone who will keep it open as a restaurant. 

Laura Ackley, general manager of Donna’s Diner, declined to comment on the closing, other than to say it’s a sad day. Ackley did say that the Winner family is seeking a chef-owner to take over the business and be at the site every day to oversee it.

The Winner family expressed its appreciation to the diner’s customers in a Sunday night post on Facebook that announced the closing.

“We appreciate the many years of business the diner has experienced and are thankful to all of our customers for their loyalty and support,” the post read. “At this time, we have made the hard decision to close the diner while we pursue a sale.”

The restaurant closed at 2 p.m. Monday, just after the lunch service.

Anyone interested in learning more about purchasing the diner is asked to call The Winner Companies at 724 981 1152.

The Business Journal contacted Jack Campbell, vice president and secretary of The Winner Companies, but didn’t hear back from him in time for this article.

The eyecatching property at 10 W. State St. is next to the Shenango River. It has handicap-accessible entrance ramps, counter seating and booths and tables in the dining area. All equipment would be included in the sale, according to an earlier post on the restaurant’s Facebook page that listed an asking price of $500,000.

The diner was built and managed by the Winner family, which has developed many downtown Sharon properties, including The Landing. Open seven days a week, the diner was known for its burgers, sandwiches and milkshakes.

Jeff Feola, director of community and economic development for the Sharon Community Development Corporation, said his agency has its eyes peeled for a potential buyer but is not directly involved in selling the property.

“The SCDC is always talking to new entrepreneurs that want to open a business, and we connect them to the diner when applicable,” Feola said. 

Feola said he was a frequent patron of the diner, going there often for lunch. “I’m going to miss their club sandwich,” he said.