MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- It's the end of an era in Mountain View.
A family-owned market is being sold after 45 years.
The Milk Pail Market started as a drive-through dairy in 1974.
Today it's full of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and other one of a kind items.
"Just like their frozen croissants. You just thaw them overnight, and it rises on its own. And then when you pop it in the oven in the morning, it's just warm, buttery goodness," said Palo Alto resident and longtime customer Ken Chan.
The owners of the Milk Pail Market, Steve and Lian Rasmussen, celebrated its 45th anniversary in February, and this week announced the time has come to sell the property and close the business.
It's easy to see a lot has changed at the corner of California Street and San Antonio Road.
A huge shopping center and other buildings now tower over the market.
In a letter to customers, the Rasmussens point to several challenges, including the impact on the business from the recent construction and changes in their neighborhood.
They also point to the amount of work to run a family business, and the loss of a valued store manager, who tragically passed away in 2014.
The sale of the property means an end to a part of the past of Mountain View that may not ever return, but a future for the owners that has been a long time coming.
Their daughter Erika has managed the store for the past two years. She says, "I'm happy to have them be able to travel, and to go do other things because this store has been their life for a very long time."
Erika says they expect to close this summer.