Melrose Diner closed after fire, owner hopes to reopen next week

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - The Melrose Diner will be closed until further notice after a fire broke out on the roof of the business Wednesday.

Flames broke out in the rafters of the landmark Melrose Diner on the 1500 block of Snyder Avenue around 6 p.m.

"I go outside to look at the vent and there was a plastic thing on fire," explained Paige Clark, who was working when the fire broke out.

Owner Michael Petrogiannis rushed over to the scene. He believes the cause of the 1-alarm fire may have been electrical. 

"It's not something easy. I didn't expect this to happen," Petrogiannis said. "We are gonna try to fix it as soon as possible."

Crews were already on the scene to begin repairing the diner early Thursday morning. 

The 24-hour diner has been a local landmark since opening in 1935.

No injuries were reported.