Pizza Plus on New Castle Road is permanently closed as of last Thursday.

Butler's Pizza Plus (listed on its website as “L Pizza Plus”) closed suddenly last Thursday, with only a short voice mail and a nonexplanatory sign on the front door.

The restaurant, which has been operating for about 30 years, was being run by Michael Doerflinger, 45, of Slippery Rock at the time of its closure. Doerflinger said Sunday that he simply decided 30 years was enough, adding that he was looking to sell the family business to a suitable buyer.

“There's still potential for someone else to carry on the tradition,” Doerflinger said. “All the stuff's still there. The stuff is still ready to go if someone wants to continue the tradition.”

He said he has gotten some interest “in the past week,” but that he would resist selling until finding the right person.

“I believe we have a higher standard,” Doerflinger said. “Not just anybody could take it over.”

Before the restaurant's voice mail switched to a message stating that the store was “permanently closed,” management had announced via Facebook that the eatery would be closed for a few days for a holiday break. Doerflinger said after that break was announced, owners and employees “sat down and decided it was time.” No illnesses, deaths or other tragedies were to blame for the closure, he said.

However, it seems that an illness led to Doerflinger running the shop in the first place. On Friday, Michael's father, Bob Doerflinger, 72, said the store had been signed over to his son about five years ago when he had fallen ill.

Business records on file with the Pennsylvania Department of the State confirm that Michael Doerflinger is listed as president of the company, Bob Doerflinger is treasurer and Bob's wife, Linda, is secretary.

Bob Doerflinger said he has worked in the store since his illness, and that he still lives in an apartment unit above the pizzeria.

The two men, who are separated in age by 27 years, appear to feel differently about the family business, but both agree that its food and customers were special.

Bob Doerflinger doesn't want to see it close.

“It's sad,” he said. “All I can say is, it's sad. I had a great love for a lot of our customers.”

Michael Doerflinger said he received text messages from about 60 customers, employees and other friends of the store on the day after the store's closing. Still, he seems keen to hand it off and pursue his own path.

“We've chosen to embark in a different direction after 29 years,” he said. “That's a long time to dedicate. I've been running it since I was 18.”

And he's heard all the bemoaning from hungry pizza lovers around Butler, he said. “Our customers are still contacting me,” Michael Doerflinger said. “It's just amazing. Over the years, they've been like my second family.”

On that, both the Doerflinger men are agreed.

“People brought their kids in, and their kids brought their kids in — 30 years is a long time,” Bob Doerflinger said.