An award-winning chef who had planned a $1.5 million renovation of a shuttered fast-food restaurant on West Colonial Drive inexplicably changed course last week, demolishing the building without any notice to the city of Orlando and starting work on a new structure without permits.

Amit Kumar, who paid $1.1 million last year for the former Burger King at 744 W. Colonial Dr., has not returned calls or emails from GrowthSpotter about the project. He previously stated that he planned to convert the building into a test kitchen for his expanding portfolio of Indian restaurants , as well as a limited-seating restaurant offering a five-course chef’s tasting menu.

Kumar currently owns and operates three restaurants in the Orlando area, including Bombay Street Kitchen , which has earned a

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