In recent times, Marine Drive has transformed into a bustling hub of activity, evolving into a prominent rendezvous point for the residents of Colombo. The extensive stretch and heightened visibility along Marine Drive have rendered it an ideal locale for various businesses, especially when it comes to food outlets.
The strategic positioning of Marine Drive, centrally situated along the Colombo Plan Road, adds to its appeal as it is a road frequented by individuals commuting to, from, and within Colombo. This centrality not only enhances accessibility but also ensures that Marine Drive remains a focal point for diverse engagements and commercial ventures.
Taking a trip along Marine Drive, particularly after 6 p.m., offers a captivating spectacle of vibrant open lots adorned with bright lights and expansive outdoor seating areas, hosting an array of diverse food stalls. The allure of this scene is magnified by the glow of all of the signposts, effectively transforming the vicinity into an enticing outdoor food court.
The welcoming ambiance and the numerous food stalls act as an irresistible magnet, drawing in anyone leisurely strolling by. Marine Drive, during these evening hours, becomes not just a thoroughfare but a lively culinary destination that calls to passersby to indulge in the diverse options available in this open-air setting.
As a result of its visibility and the multitude of food stalls that have established a presence along the iconic stretch of Marine Drive, intrigued by the growing culinary landscape, The Sunday Morning Brunch set out on an exploratory journey, starting the drive from the Wellawatte Bridge all the way to Kollupitiya on Marine Drive, hoping to observe this flourishing food scene and witness firsthand this phenomenon that has captured the attention of locals and passersby.
Thriving location for business
Starting from Wellawatte, heading towards Kollupitiya on Marine Drive, and just adjacent to the Wellawatte Bridge, we encountered the now-popular Komarika stand, known for its refreshing aloe vera drinks.
Lakshan Madhushanka, who was managing the stand, shared some valuable insights, revealing: “The Bambalapitiya stand is not our inaugural one; we have a few others. Our journey started with the Nawala outlet near the cemetery, followed by Kalubowila and Havelock City, and now, we’ve expanded to Bambalapitiya.”
According to Lakshan, Marine Drive stands out as their most thriving outlet in terms of business. He elaborated: “Business is at its peak on Marine Drive. Throughout the day, we have a steady flow of customers, especially considering the hot weather. Our operational hours, from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., ensure that we cater to the needs of residents in this area consistently, and we don’t solely rely on passersby for customers.”
Lakshan added: “We customise our drinks to meet the preferences of our customers. Many are now looking for healthier options, so we offer choices with or without sugar. Additionally, in the evenings, people often prefer drinks without ice. I believe that being situated by the beach adds to the appeal, especially given the heat, making our drinks a popular choice in this area.”
High customer footfall
Continuing our journey along Marine Drive, we couldn’t help but notice a truck parked on the side of the road offering durian for sale. While we respect the enthusiasm of durian enthusiasts, we opted to pass on this particular culinary adventure.
Adjacent to the well-known food stalls in Frankfurt Place, including Chaiwala Colombo and Roll’d Ice Cream, is an emerging spot with only one food stall – the Road Kade. Speaking to Brunch, Jaya Kumara from Road Kade said: “Because the other side has a large lot and so many shops, there’s a lot of customers attracted to that side, so Road Kade suffers a bit because we’re on the lonely side of the lot.”
Just next door is the better known Frankfurt Place lot, which houses Chaiwala Colombo – a staple for three years. Chaiwala Outlet Manager Mohammed Atheek said: “Compared to our many other outlets in Katubedda, Arcade, Bambalapitiya, etc., among all of them, this is the best one because lots of people come to Marine Drive.”
Atheek emphasised that even before other shops had arrived, being their first branch, they had consistently performed well. “Marine Drive is simply a really good place to have your business,” he added.
Fathima Feroze, who recently opened her hopper stall at the lot, said: “I have been here for only a month and this is the second month now. My brother has had a similar stall in Pottuvil for two to three years and it is pretty good there. Here, the business is not great yet because we are new. We chose this spot because lots of people come and there’s a lot of attraction with these other commercial businesses drawing people in.”
A convenient location
Meanwhile, speaking to Brunch, customers too shared that Frankfurt Place was incredibly convenient, with the growing food stalls contributing to this.
Thanushka Saravanamuttu from Wellawatte said: “It’s a great spot to have our usual beach meetups; we come here mainly for the chai. We meet up here from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. and that is the best time because of the sunset. We come at least three times a week because we have classes in the evening. Colombo doesn’t have that many places to hang out – this is a very well-known place and there are a lot of facilities here. There are also cleaners here who maintain it really well.”
Past Frankfurt Place, you come across another, far smaller lot, just adjacent to Amsterdam Street, where Badam Doodh is located. Its Managing Partner Fahad Zamal said: “We started here in front of the station. This place is great; it is mostly people who live in this area who come, but we have a lot of customers who see these lights and come to try it out. We offer Indian food and many are drawn to us because of this. It’s great for business,” he said.
Corndog SL Owner Manul Nawimana, whose food outlet is at the Amsterdam Street lot, said: “We didn’t have an outlet prior to this; this is our first. Usually, we do pop-ups and we were on Uber Eats. We do a lot of pop-ups, especially with the Korean Embassy, etc. It’s a great spot for business here.”
Customers at this lot too shared that the convenience of the location and the visibility had attracted them here. Tharindu and Chathurika said: “We are from Dehiwala and we saw a YouTuber who tried the corn dogs. I tried the chai once a while back; they used to have a chai spot here. We see the lights, so we come in. It’s a great spot,” they said.
Finally, as we reached the end of the stretch nearing Kollupitiya, we came across another lot near the Bambalapitiya Railway Station, adjacent to Station Road. Here, we spoke to Mohammed Saleem, who manages a brand new stall called Bombay Chaiwala. He shared that chai was fairly popular in that area, adding: “We have two other outlets in Dehiwala and near Mahanama. We have only been at this particular lot for one week. We are still new here, but we feel it’s a good spot; it’s really close to the railway station and people hang around here a lot.”
PHOTOS SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA