Mumbai's Jimmy Boy cafe closes abruptly before 100-year milestone — What went wrong with the Parsi eatery?

Mumbai's iconic Parsi café, Jimmy Boy, near the Horniman Circle at Fort, has shut its operations due to the dilapidated condition of the Vikas Building, where it is housed, just months before it was supposed to celebrate the completion of 100 years of its operations in September.

“We are a family restaurant built on the foundations of love for our family, cultural traditions and above all, delicious food! The restaurant has been there in the Irani Family since 1925”, reads Jimmy Boy's website. 

Jimmy Boy – A Heritage Landmark Abruptly Closed

Mumbai’s beloved Parsi café, Jimmy Boy, nestled in the historic Fort district, has unexpectedly shuttered its Fort outlet just weeks before it was due to celebrate its centenary in September. This cherished eatery, famed for its Keema Pav, Brun Maska, Mava Cakes and nostalgic Irani chai, first opened as Café India before being rebranded in 1999.

“The recipes have remained unchanged since the beginning. Every Parsi family has its own closely guarded secret recipes for their version of the dish, and we are true to ours! All-time favorites include Patra ni Macchi, followed by sauce Nimacchi, Salliboti, keema pav, chicken berry pulao, trickling down to dhansak, Dhun dal and prawns patio,” the Jimmy Boy café's website reads.

Unsafe Building Forces Sudden Evacuation

On 20 June, a junior engineer alerted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) disaster management cell after detecting major cracks in the four‑storey Vikas Premises building—home to Jimmy Boy, at Horniman Circle at Fort. 

The following morning, a formal notice under Section 354 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act mandated immediate evacuation. The BMC, alongside the fire brigade and local police, cordoned off the premises following inspections that deemed the structure unsafe for occupancy.

Neglected Audit Warnings Came Back to Haunt Jimmy Boy

The closure of Jimmy Boy café at Horniman Circle at Fort follows a structural audit, undertaken by Mahimtura Consultants, that flagged serious deterioration in load-bearing walls, beams and slabs of Vikas Building nearly a year ago. 

Despite urgent remedial recommendations, reportedly no corrective work had been done—leading to the Vikas Building being labelled “extremely dilapidated”. With safety irreversibly compromised, Jimmy Boy Café's closure became inevitable.

Jimmy Boy's Pivot to Takeaway and Alternate Locations

Shehzad Irani, Director of Operations, reportedly expressed emotional farewells but affirmed that Jimmy Boy is not disappearing. 

The iconic Parsi restaurant continues takeaway services from its Mahim branch, and supplies baked goods, puffs and sandwiches to Café Olive Green at Navy Nagar. Online delivery coverage has also been expanded, reflecting the company’s determination to remain present in Mumbai’s food scene.