‘Baba’ Kothari. A Telegraph picture

The restaurant will remain closed today due to the death of Mr S.S. Kothari

— By Order, Management.

The aftershock of the blast at McDonald’s claimed a beloved man of Park Street — S.S. Kothari.

“Baba” Kothari, 70, suffered a heart attack while inspecting the damage done to his Flavours of China by the impact of the Big Mac explosion.

He was the proprietor of Bar-B-Q, Flavours of China and One Step Up, while younger brother Nitin Kothari controls Peter Cat and Mocambo.

“On Sunday afternoon, ‘Baba’ Kothari came to see the cracks that had appeared on the walls of Flavours of China following the blast in adjoining McDonald’s. He appeared tense. Suddenly, he collapsed. We rushed him to Belle Vue nursing home but he died in our arms,” said an associate of the veteran restaurateur.

A Belle Vue spokesperson confirmed that Kothari was “brought dead” around 2.15pm.

A sombre notice of closure was put up at all three restaurants, plunging Park Street into despair on shock Sunday.

Kothari, former president of the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Eastern India, was the grand old man of the city’s food street. “He was the pillar of the food trade in the city, who was in the restaurant business all his life,” said brother Nitin.

Baba Kothari’s elder son Vivek owns restaurants in Japan, while younger daughter Nandita runs a food address in New York. Younger son Rajiv looks after the city operations.