The kitchen was hot at the Riverdale Diner Monday Morning.
The 50-year-old diner, a neighborhood staple, closes Sunday nights when the clock strikes midnight and opens again at 6 a.m. on Mondays, according to the business’ website.
But the FDNY was notified of flames in the 3657 Kingsbridge Ave. restaurant at 12:26 a.m., according to a Fire Department spokesperson.
Contained to the kitchen, the fire was under control within 30 minutes, by 12:54 a.m., according to department officials.
Two firefighters, however, were injured and transported to local hospitals, according to FDNY.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and results are immediately posted to the FDNY Twitter when investigation results are made public, the spokesperson told the Bronx Times.
The phone line was down at the diner late Monday morning.
City Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, a Riverdale Progressive, praised the diner’s role in Riverdale and thanked the firefighters for their response.
“We are very saddened to hear about the fire last night at the Riverdale Diner,” Dinowitz said in a statement to the Bronx Times. “They have been a staple of and have served our community for decades. We deeply appreciate our FDNY firefighters who never hesitate to put their lives on the line for us and who swiftly put the fire under control. We are hoping for the speedy recovery of our two injured firefighters.”
Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said he hopes the diner opens back up soon.
“My heart and gratitude goes out to the firefighters who quickly responded to the fire this morning at Riverdale Diner, and to the owners and staff of this neighborhood institution,” the Riverdale Democrat said in a statement to the Bronx Times. “My office is ready and willing to help however we can, but for now we are grateful that the damage seems to have been relatively confined. I wish for a speedy recovery to the firefighters who were injured, and I hope to see Riverdale Diner back up and running as soon as they can.”
This article was updated at 8:21 p.m. on April 11 to add a comment from Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes.
