City Hall tight-lipped about expropriation deadline forcing Curry’s upcoming closure

Curry’s Restaurant on Wellington Road says it will close next month to accommodate transit route. CTV London’s Daryl Newcombe reports.

Credited with introducing thousands of Londoners to Indian cuisine, Curry’s is being forced to close after 40 years when city hall expropriates the property to accommodate the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route being constructed on Wellington Road.

However, the restaurant’s owners say inconsistent communication from City Hall has left them uncertain about when they’re required to leave the premises for good.

This week they announced on social media that the restaurant will close Nov. 30, but a notice sent by city hall sets a deadline of Nov. 10.

“We got expropriation notices three or four weeks ago with the date on it, and by the time we talked to our lawyer and got clarification, (the) time’s already almost up,” explained co-owner Pramod Kukadia.

His wife, Susan Kukadia, says communication with city hall has been inconsistent regarding the process to acquire their property, “We’re just looking for some more communication on how to execute this a little bit better - so that it’s fair.”

CTV News asked city officials about the timeline for demolition of the restaurant and whether the date provided in the document is flexible.

City staff were tight-lipped in a one sentence response.

“The City cannot comment publicly on this matter, as there are ongoing discussions with the property owner’s legal counsel,” the email reads in full.

“It’s just been a lot to handle,” admits Susan, about being forced to close the restaurant. “It’s pushed us into a little bit of a corner, and in the decisions that we make and how to handle it.”

She describes her longtime staff as a close-knit family, several working more than a dozen years at the restaurant, and one working daily alongside the couple for 25 years.

They will all lose their jobs when the restaurant closes.

“We’re not ready to stop, we haven’t been ready to stop, we’re just being stopped,” said Pramod.

He and some friends from university opened Curry’s in 1985.

Eventually, the others moved on to other careers and Pramod relocated the business, first to Horton Street and then renovated a house into the brightly-coloured landmark building on Wellington Road.

The Kukadias have been overwhelmed by the response they’ve received on social media and from customers visiting the restaurant.

“We’ve had so many generations of families coming here for years now,” Pramod said. “It’s sad when I see customers and (I tell them) we’re not going to be here anymore.”

Susan says hearing the impact that Curry’s has had on its customers is comforting.

“We get so many people that say this is the first Indian restaurant that they were at, the first Indian food they ate and it was their first experience with Indian culture.”

It includes Bud Carter, who has enjoyed eating at Curry’s since it was located on Horton Street in the mid-1980s.

“It’s so sad,” Carter said after finishing his meal. “This restaurant has been a great restaurant in the community, and these folks are just the best. It’s hitting them pretty hard.”

The Kukadia’s retain hope that city hall will show some compassion and flexibility so that they can close as planned on Nov. 30 and a few more weeks to clear out the restaurant.

Curry’s will be providing updates on its website and social media.