The owners of Island Food Products last week purchased the building that once housed Bombay Indian Cuisine in Oak Bluffs for $1.3 million.
Island Food Realty, a real estate company owned by the team behind Island Food Products, hopes to find someone to open a new restaurant at the 7 Oakland avenue location. The company’s purchase included the restaurant equipment from Bombay, which has closed.
“We’re not restaurateurs, we’re real estate investors.” said John Roberts, one of the partners of Island Food Realty. “We hope to find a local person, preferably, who wants to give the place a facelift…We’re looking for a restaurateur to put the sparkle back in the place.”
Owner John Roberts said Bombay’s proximity to Tony’s Market was a plus for Island Food Products.
— Ray Ewing
Island Food Realty now owns the buildings of several restaurants on the Island, including the Edgartown properties that host 19 Raw Oyster Bar and 19 Prime Steak House, Rockfish, and the planned Seagrass Bar and Grille in the former Sharky’s Cantina building.
Island Food Products, a food distrbution company run by Adam Bresnick, made its first foray into retail was in 2021, when the company purchased Tony’s Market, a grocery store and deli in Oak Bluffs.
Bombay’s closure marks the end of the Island’s only Indian food restaurant. Austin Grande opened the restaurant in 2022.
The restaurant last summer tried to expand its entertainment offerings, but it was denied by the select board due to its location in a residential neighborhood. Mr. Grande did not respond to a request for comment on his plans late last month.
Before Bombay, the building was home to a barbecue restaurant called Sea Smoke, and before that, another barbecue restaurant called Smoke ‘n Bones.
The real estate listing for the Oakland avenue property said the restaurant has a 74-seat capacity, and the .14 acre of land could also host a home or two apartments.
Island Food Products bought Tony’s Market in 2021.
— Ray Ewing
The property’s proximity to Tony’s, which is across the street, was a real plus for Island Food Realty.
“We didn’t really want to miss out on the opportunity to own something so close to Tony’s,” Mr. Roberts said.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article misstated the company that purchased the Bombay building. It was Island Food Realty.
