Edison: House of Bombay Indian Restaurant Closes After Fire at Iconic Route 1 Site
House of Bombay, the Indian restaurant that replaced the beloved Menlo Park Diner at its iconic Route 1 address in Edison, New Jersey, has been forced to close temporarily following an unexpected fire that struck the premises just weeks after the restaurant first welcomed guests. The closure has left reservations cancelled and the South Asian community in Edison uncertain about when the highly anticipated dining destination will reopen, as the owners pledge full refunds to affected customers and vow to share updates as soon as they are able.
House of Bombay Closes Until Further Notice After Unexpected Fire at Route 1 Location
House of Bombay, the Indian restaurant that took over the long-established space of the former Menlo Park Diner on Route 1 in Edison, has announced it is temporarily closed following a fire at the premises. The Menlo Park Diner that previously occupied the site had been a Route 1 institution for roughly three decades, operating twenty-four hours a day before its eventual closure. House of Bombay had opened in the same space only weeks before the fire occurred. In a social media post, restaurant management announced the closure would last until further notice following what was described as an unexpected fire incident. The statement stressed that the fire took place while the restaurant was not in operation, and that no guests or staff members were present at the time. Management made clear that the safety of guests and the team remained the restaurant's highest priority. House of Bombay had been keenly anticipated by Edison's South Asian community as a new destination for elevated Indian dining at one of New Jersey's most recognisable commercial addresses. The restaurant's opening had represented a symbolic transformation of a beloved American roadside diner site into a showcase for contemporary Indian cuisine in a neighbourhood with deep South Asian roots and a vibrant, decades-old Desi dining culture that draws visitors from across the region. [2]
Owners of Indian-Opened House of Bombay Work Toward Recovery After Route 1 Fire
House of Bombay, the Indian restaurant that opened this summer at 1475 Route 1 South in Edison at the site of the former Menlo Park Diner, has closed following a fire, as confirmed in a social media statement. The restaurant said it was shut until further notice after an unexpected fire incident, and confirmed no guests or staff were on the premises at the time of the fire. All reservations made through the online platform Resy from September 5 onward were cancelled, and customers who had been charged were invited to contact the restaurant with a screenshot of their charge to receive a full refund. House of Bombay is owned by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Nishiket and Shizani Parikh. Nishiket Parikh, who operates several restaurants in India, entered the New Jersey market with the stated goal of preserving the warm hospitality associated with the legendary Menlo Park Diner while introducing elevated Indian cuisine to Route 1. The building underwent a complete interior renovation before the restaurant opened. The original Menlo Park Diner, which first opened in 1960 and ran around the clock for decades, had itself closed following a separate kitchen fire in October 2023 and was later listed for sale at four million dollars. The second fire to strike the same Route 1 site has struck the Edison community as a painful echo of the original diner's final chapter, adding an unexpected shadow to what had been a much-celebrated new chapter for the address. [3]