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ABC News
ABC News
National
By Thea Halpin

Australia's most famous lobster is on the market

Owner Casey Sharpe says Larry has been drawing more tourists since his makeover.

Australia's most famous lobster is up for sale.

Larry the Lobster, a 40-year resident of Kingston in the south east of South Australia, is on the market again, fresh from a $50,000-plus makeover.

Larry's owners, Jenna and Casey Sharpe, have put the 17-metre tall "big" icon — and the restaurant he sits in front of — up for sale, saying they want to focus on their other business.

"We haven't got the time to run the business. It's time to find someone with the time and the drive to get the restaurant back up and running," Mr Sharpe said.

Mr Sharpe said post-makeover Larry now looked like "a million dollars" and was drawing more tourists than ever before.

"Hopefully someone comes in with a lot of ambition and a bit of money behind them … it's just got so much potential," he said.

Mr Sharpe admits a restaurant with a 17-metre-tall fibreglass lobster in front of it is a big undertaking for any buyer and said they would consider selling Larry and the restaurant separately.

"If the offer is right … everything is for sale at a price, isn't it?" he said.

While he would not give away the asking price, Mr Sharpe said they hoped to re-coup the money that was put towards Larry's renovations last year.

What he has in size, he matches in notoriety with his "plastic surgery" fund being the subject of nationwide attention last year.

Larry in ship shape

Mr Sharpe said the family was looking forward to putting the situation in the past, after pouring more than $50,000 of their own money into the project.

"We're ready to just cut our losses and move on from that whole saga and put it behind us," he said.

"It has been quite a drain on our family and our personal lives."

However, he said he hoped whoever ended up buying Larry will make him an even bigger attraction for the town of Kingston.

"It needs to be brought back to its former glory," he said.

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