Landmark Menlo Park Diner in Edison faces uncertain future following fire

EDISON – The future is unknown for the landmark Menlo Park Diner on Route 1 after a two-alarm fire damaged the kitchen and spread smoke throughout the building last weekend.

The building is currently closed for business due to the fire and water damage.

While fire officials said the restaurant could be rebuilt after getting permits from the township's code enforcement department, and once the utilities are turned back on, it's unknown if that will happen.

Fire Chief Andrew Toth said the owners didn't indicate their future plans the night of the fire, so they were just informed about what needed to be done to reopen. No one answered the telephone at the diner, which dates back to the 1960s, on Tuesday morning.

No injuries were reported at the fire which occurred when the building was closed. In recent months the diner, which formerly operated 24 hours a day, has been open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Around 9:58 p.m. Saturday police received multiple 911 calls about heavy smoke coming from the diner at 1475 Route 1 southbound, Toth said.

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When Edison firefighters arrived, they found the building filled with black smoke and found a fire in the kitchen which they knocked down and used the skylights to ventilate, Toth said, adding most of the damage was in the kitchen.

"I think it can be repaired it's just a matter of I didn't see what they did so far," Toth said.

The Edison Police Department and Middlesex County Fire Marshal's Office are investigating the cause of the fire which is undetermined at this time, Toth said.

Toth said the fire went to two alarms because of the amount of smoke.

Earlier this year the diner, a 4,500-square-foot restaurant, located between a portion of Roosevelt Park and the Menlo Park Mall, was listed for sale at a price of $4 million.

At that time the listing agent said the current owners had worked at the diner for more than 30 years and were looking to retire. And while they would love to see the property remain as a diner, they are open to any buyers.

The Menlo Park Diner is one of two major diners along the Edison section of Route 1 south. The other is the Edison Diner at 101 Route 1 just before the Morris and Donald Goodkind Bridges linking Edison and New Brunswick, while the Skylark Diner and Lounge in Edison is located on Route 1 north at Wooding Avenue.

The Menlo Park Diner was often busy on summer evenings when theatergoers attending shows at the nearby Plays-in-the-Park in Roosevelt Park would walk over for dinner before showtime and dessert after the performance. The diner set up a outside tent to continue serving customers during the pandemic.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Menlo Park Diner in Edison NJ faces uncertain future after fire