WCAC

 

A restaurant that has operated at 475 Moody Street for 36 years is facing involuntary closure.

Little India owner Bhushan Dhir, a Waltham resident, said landlord Ralph Amelia has declined to renew his lease, meaning his tenancy will end on November 30.

Amelia said that the aging business presents a fire hazard—a claim that Dhir contests, having passed fire and other inspections every year.

He added that he has always paid his rent on time, even through COVID. “Never had a problem, not even one time,” Dhir said.

Forced Out

Little India is one of the longest continuously operating restaurants in the city. 

Earlier this year, Dhir received notice from Amelia that his lease would expire and that the decision was final. “I thought he had a bad day,” said the baffled restaurant owner.

The landlord said he pays high insurance on the Little India space and worries that “way-the-hell old” equipment could cause a fire that could affect other bays, most of which are also restaurants.

“I’m picturing my building on fire,” said Amelia, 79, shown at a 2022 Traffic Commission public hearing.

He said he plans to lease the Little India space to a non-restaurant tenant in the future.

“I’d rather lose 6 to 8 months’ rent than not being able to sleep at night,” he said.

Dhir wants to stay. He questioned why a landlord would terminate a good tenant’s lease for a non-existent tenant—and why he couldn’t address Amelia’s concerns. 

“He’s not giving me any options,” he said.

 

No restaurant at 475 Moody also means Dhir is unlikely to find a buyer for Little India—which he was planning to do as the 67-year-old owner approaches retirement.

“Nobody’s going to buy a business when they don’t have a lease,” Dhir said.

Little India could relocate, but Dhir said it would be prohibitively expensive. So closure and firing 6 or 7 staff members look likely.

Other restaurant owners were taken aback by the situation.

 

“After someone’s been there for more than 30 years, it’s a shame,” said Nate Sigel, owner of Tempo across the street. “He deserves some level of respect.”

Amelia said he feels “zero guilt” about his decision. He believes that a new Indian restaurant across the street and another one expanding nearby could spell the end for Little India in the future. 

Silver Lining?

In 2023, Little India was one of four Waltham establishments to be granted all-alcohol liquor licenses by local and state licensing officials.

The state issued the free licenses to Waltham after population increases in the 2020 Census. 

 

After being granted one of the new licenses, Bhushan Dhir turned in Little India's beer and wine license to the city’s license commission.

Now Waltham license officials will allow Dhir to hold the all-alcohol license unused for a period of time until he can relocate. 

“It’s not his fault,” said License Commission Chair Wayne Brasco. “He’s being forced out.” 

If Little India fails to relocate, Dhir is free to sell the license on the open market—a potential silver lining in a difficult situation. In recent years, Waltham liquor licenses have fetched upwards of $200,000.

File photos