Contrary to rumors circulating Wednesday, no sales are pending for the former Leiby's restaurant in South Tamaqua.

Ron Eichenberg, managing director of commercial sales for the Frederick Group, Allentown, said Wednesday, "There are people interested."Eichenberg said parties have inquired about the site, positioned at a high-traffic intersection of routes 309 and 443.But there is nothing in terms of an agreement or concrete plans."There is no purchase agreement and no plans to develop it," said Eichenberg.The restaurant closed in December 2007, after declining sales.The eatery sold at auction on June 30, 2008, for $1.5 million, a sale conducted by Hassinger & Courtney Auctioneers of Richfield, Snyder County.The auction was ordered by Robert Stillman, whose family bought the restaurant from its founders in 1991.The real estate was described as 7.13 acres and a 9,000-square-foot building with seating for 225 patrons and parking for 200 vehicles.The business was advertised as generating an annual average income of $2.38 million for the previous 10 years.The auction drew an estimated 160 attendees. Of those 20 were registered bidders.At final gavel, the site was purchased by Gary Dell'Alba, Center Valley, of K-Mar Properties, Bethlehem.The K-Mar company is a real estate investment firm associated with Square One Markets.At the time Dell'Alba said plans for the site would keep the community's desires in mind."It'll probably involve food but not necessarily a diner," he said."We have to look into what would be a good fit here. It'll be something I'd be proud to have in my own community."Dell'Alba, however, passed away one year later.Leiby's was founded in 1965 by the Zimmerman brothers Floyd, Kenneth and Ronald who wanted a venue to market homemade ice cream produced at their nearby Walker Township dairy. The name "Leiby's" is said to honor Daniel Leiby, founder of the Walker Township dairy farm which operated for 14 years from 1928-1942, before being acquired by Walter Zimmerman.The ice cream stop eventually grew into a sprawling, full-service restaurant and gift shop that became wildly popular and a local landmark.In addition to hot meals, the restaurant served a variety of ice cream flavors and home-baked pie specialties such as strawberry pie layered inches thick with berries, and dramatic lemon pies featuring meringue topping that towered approximately 7 inches over the pie filling.One of their trademark desserts, the Atomic Sundae, featured 32 ounces of ice cream in three flavors and was a hit with those who enjoy culinary indiscretion. A Leiby's Atomic sold for $7.89.The sale of Leiby's to new owners launched a series of changes.Many said a change in management style took a toll on the popularity of the eatery. Some customers reportedly became dissatisfied with higher prices and a perceived decline in the quality that had made Leiby's special.Others claimed the economy was a strong factor leading to the eatery's closing.