A fixture of downtown Merced’s restaurant scene is about to permanently shut its doors, its owner says.
Taste of Little India, one of the region’s first Indian restaurants, is expected to close in mid-April, with no immediate plans for a new location, says owner Parm Samra.
Samra told The Merced FOCUS that the planned closure comes after the building recently changed ownership.
Samra, who first brought Indian cuisine to the area in the mid-1990s, has spent the past 24 years cultivating not only a loyal customer base in Merced, but a space where generations gathered, celebrated and connected over food many had never tried before.
When asked if the restaurant was like a second home, Samra simply answered, “This is my first home.”
Samra, 55, opened his first restaurant in Atwater in 1996 when he was 26, venturing into a business few in the region understood.
“I was the only Indian restaurant from Modesto to Fresno,” Samra said. “No one knew what Indian food was.”
At first, he said, customers were skeptical. Many had never heard of curry or seen dishes like chicken tikka masala or palak paneer. Some were even afraid to try them. But Samra saw that as an opportunity.
“I would explain to them what Indian food is, how we cook it, why we cook the way we do, why we do what we do,” he said. “They try it and, ‘Oh, my God, this is really good.’ So, they bring their friends or their family members. We literally grew from customer to customer.”
Five years later, Samra found a space on Main Street. He moved his restaurant into the heart of downtown in 2001.
Downtown Merced was thriving, and Samra described it as a hub for shopping, movies, and nightlife. It was also before UC Merced opened and more of the city grew northward.
In the early 2000s, Samra said, “Everybody congregated downtown.”
As Merced changed, so did Samra’s mission. He hoped to make Indian food a standard option — something locals would casually name alongside Chinese, Mexican, or Italian cuisine. “I wanted to be in the same breath,” he said.
That dream came true. Taste of Little India became a community fixture, with a customer base spanning generations.
“They raised me,” Samra said. “I had problems — they would give me advice. I went through a divorce — they were there for me. These people raised me.”
For Mike and Janice Altomare, the restaurant was more than a place to eat — it was a weekly ritual.
“This was our Thursday night date spot,” Mike said. “I travel a lot, so I’d always get back Thursday (and we would go out to get dinner).”
The couple moved to Merced in 1989 but have been eating at Taste of Little India for 15 years.
The food — consistent and flavorful — drew them in. But the people kept them coming back, they said.
The pair always orders the same thing. “I do the tikka, chicken tikka masala,” Mike said. Janice follows with her favorite: “Navrattan korma … squash and cauliflower and carrots and potatoes and cashews.”
They’ve brought business partners and friends. They even hosted exchange students from India from the Rotary Club at the restaurant.
“It was unbelievable. They loved the food, and they made it special for them,” Mike said.
That kind of connection is what Samra says he’ll miss most.
“What excites me is to be able to see my customer base again,” he said. “They’re like my family… These people raised me.”
For patrons like the Altomares, the upcoming closure hits hard.“It’s a real shame,” Mike said.
Despite the heartbreak, Samra isn’t done.
He hopes to find a new location, preferably in north Merced, where many of his customers now live and work. Though he’s had offers to move to other cities, like Modesto, he’s hesitant to leave the community that shaped him.
“I don’t want to start all over again,” he said. “I’m 55 years old. That’d be a hard thing to do.”
He has a few leads on new spaces but nothing concrete yet. “I wish there was a place I could give you a timeline,” he said. “There is a place now, but it’s gonna take a lot of work. And at this age, I don’t want to invest that much. I got kids going to college soon.”
Still, Samra remains committed to his vision — and to the customers he considers family.
“What excites me is to be able to see my customer base again,” he said. “They’ve seen me grow. I’ve seen them retire. Sadly, I’ve seen people pass away. I just want to say thank you for everything to everybody in Merced. I am blessed to be here. Merced is awesome.”
