Demolition begins at iconic Melrose Diner in South Philadelphia

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

So long Melrose Diner.

Demolition on the South Philadelphia institution started on Wednesday to make way for a six-story apartment building and a smaller Melrose Diner on the ground floor.

The work drew the attention of those passing by, many of them were documenting the iconic eatery, which has been in the neighborhood since 1956.

Residents stood on the sidewalk, processing the rubble that once was the beloved Melrose Diner.

The restaurant has been a fixture for generations of Philadelphians. It sits on the triangle block of West Passyunk and Snyder avenues and 15th Street.

Demolition permits were filed in 2022, around the time of a kitchen fire that shuttered the diner.

Plans are now in the works to build apartments above a new ground floor of the Melrose.

We’re told the work could take 18 months to two years.

There’s no word on a projected opening date.