Nifty Fifty's Hits Real Estate Market

Bensalem residents craving a Baby Ruth milkshake–or one of more than four dozen other Nifty Fifty's varieties–will have to travel farther than the Street Road location destroyed during a two-alarm fire in July.

The question of whether or not the Nifty Fifty's owners intended to rebuild the Bensalem location of the 50s style diner franchise was answered when "sale/lease" signs were posted at the four-acre property, which includes a miniature golf course in the rear of the building. 

Realtor Chris Yangello of Capital Commercial Real Estate Group told Patch that the asking price is $2 million. 

"The building’s gone," Yangello said of the shell that once occupied the popular eatery. "That would have to come down or have the same footprint."

Fire officials had said in July that the fire rendered the building a "total loss."

On Tuesday, Yangello said he's received a "half dozen inquiries" in the week since the real estate signs were posted at the site, which is located at 2555 Street Road in Bensalem. According to his company's Web site, a ground lease–to permit a would-be tenant to develop the property–is being sought for the land. 

The commercial property could be home to another restaurant, retail or daycare uses, based on its zoning. 

"There’s many uses," Yangello said. "I have no clue what’s going to go there."

Nifty Fifty's owners were charged last year in an alleged tax evasion scheme that authorities said involved the deliberate failure to properly account for $15.6 million in gross receipts, thereby evading $2.2 million in federal employment and personal taxes from 2006 through 2010.