Bandra born, New York-based chef Floyd Cardoz, who founded restaurants like The Bombay Canteen and O’Pedro in Mumbai, passed away earlier today at a New York hospital following complications of Covid-19. He was 59.
Floyd rose to fame in New York after the success of his much-loved restaurant, Tabla. He was in Mumbai earlier this month to celebrate the 5th anniversary of The Bombay Canteen, and to inaugurate his newest venture, Bombay Sweet Shop, a café and Indian sweets outlet. Floyd had flown to New York on March 8. A week later, on March 15, he had tweeted saying: “Admitting myself to the hospital today. Had a rough night. Have had this cough and fever from Frankfurt for about a week. Looks like I have contracted the Corona Virus! But still
unable to get tested.”
However, he deleted the tweet within minutes. When friends in Bandra who had just partied with him a few days earlier messaged him about it, he said that he didn’t want to create panic.
The next day, he posted on Instagram from the hospital, apologizing for “causing undue panic around my earlier post.”
His test results came two days later when his company, Hunger Inc, released a statement saying, “Floyd Cardoz (59 years), currently admitted in hospital in New York, USA, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 18, 2020. As a precautionary measure, we have informed the Health Department in Mumbai about the same. We are also reaching out personally to people who have interacted with him during his visit to India, so they can take necessary medical advice should they indicate any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and/ or self-quarantine. Floyd Cardoz flew back to New York from Mumbai via Frankfurt on March 8, 2020.”
The charismatic chef had found more success in his home country in recent times than he did in New York. Tabla shut down after 12 years, in 2010. Last year, he also closed down his second venture, The Bombay Bread Bar, which he had opened as Paowalla in 2016.
