On a rainy Poya day, we made our way over to the Kimbulawala walkway, nestled between the Thalawathugoda Keells and the newly opened Bakery at the Lake in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
As we walked around, we found all kinds of people still braving the weather – some were not ready to compromise on their evening exercise, and the rest were vendors who have begun to frequent the parking lot stretch of the walkway.
These vendors are the reason for the area’s recent spike in popularity, with a majority of them having begun to occupy the area after the first wave of Covid-19.
Pol roti and pork curry started it all
In what has become somewhat of an urban legend, at the very beginning, everything started with a couple selling pol roti and pork curry from the back of their vehicle to joggers on the walkway. Affected by the pandemic and having lost their day-jobs, the duo chose to make an honest living to keep them afloat, and since then, the venue has risen in popularity. Starting with the first wave in early March, the Kimbulawala walkway has become a hotspot for independent business owners affected by Covid-19 to come and set up shop.
What was once just a couple making sales from the back of their car has now developed into what could be seen as a bustling night market, with major franchises like Prima Kottu Mee getting in on the action, and more recently, artists and musicians coming in to perform.
Ganga Wijekoon and Premasiri Peiris
While the night market has been growing in strength for some time now, we spoke with a number of the vendors along the walkway about how they ended up here, and whether things have changed since the opening of the Bakery by the Lake and the increased popularity of the location.
With a busy workstation set up making hot roti on the side of the road from the back of their truck, we spoke to Ganga Wijekoon and Premasiri Peiris about how they came to be at the walkway. “We started at the end of May, when my husband lost his job due to Corona, because the company he worked for closed down,” Ganga said.
The duo said they put some thought into their business model. “We are focused on these healthy foods, like beli mal and kottamalli, and everything is made from rice flour, so it is ideal for those concerned with their health who come here for their exercise.”
Ganga said that for customers, they get people who come to use the walking path; also, because this is a main junction where lots of people have to pass either going to or from work, those customer bases also come in.
They shared that there really has been no relief for them from authorities, nor can they expect anything. “All we can say is that this is really just from our own initiative and effort that we continue this. There really is no support from the Government, but we really are grateful to the fact that we are allowed to continue selling here,” they said, adding that the authorities have not come down on them and have not issued any tickets to charge them for staying parked here to sell their food, which in itself has been truly great. “However, there is a lot of uncertainty.”
The duo come to the location at around 1.30 p.m. because during noon, due to the area having no shade, the walking path is directly exposed and the sun blares down on you, making it difficult to stay outside. As a result, there aren’t a lot of customers either, as nobody wants to step outside and no one is really in the mood to eat. The duo added that it is hard for them to stay there as well, exposed to the elements as they are, “so we try to skip the height of the sun and come right after”.
Happy Juice by Ishan and Harshi Wijesinghe
Another couple that is equally affected by the pandemic and is here to make an alternative living is Ishan and Harshi Wijesinghe of Happy Juice, who shared that they started as early as late March.
“We used to have a shop before, but we had to close it because of the pandemic. We started one near our shop first, but then we heard about this place where people have set up shop, and we thought we will come here and do a mobile version. Because it is fresh juice, it is sort of perfect for the demographic here. People start coming from 5 p.m. onwards, and we stay here till about 8.30 p.m.” they said.
As long-time vendors in the area, we asked them whether they have felt any effects from the opening of the Bakery at the Lake, and they said the major issue they are facing right now is parking. Previously, if they came at 5 p.m., they would have no trouble setting up, but now even if they come at 4.30 p.m., it is difficult because customers who come to the restaurant park throughout the walking stretch, leaving no room for them.
If they could ask something from the authorities, what they hope is that they get this area designated for some of the vendors. This is because there are occasions when those who have been coming here since late March cannot get a spot on some days because a brand new vendor that just started coming might have taken their spot. “When that happens, we have no choice but to move away because we can’t really get into a fight with them – the road belongs to everyone,” said Harshi.
Ishan and Harshi are quite afraid of the uncertainty because everyday they come to work hoping the President would not suddenly announce that vendors are no longer allowed to sell there.
The story of Street Boss
We also spoke to the managers of the food truck-style business called “Street Boss”, who also shared that similar to the other vendors, they had a travel/tourism company and were forced to shut down due to an inability to pay salaries to their employees.
When they first started, they had some good business, and even after the first wave, they had managed to keep up a good pace. However, with the second wave, things have slowed down considerably.
“We come here at about 3.30-4 p.m. because if not, we won’t get a place to park. Earlier before the second wave, when the pubs were open, we used to stay open till about one or two in the morning because everyone who may have enjoyed a drink would drop by here for a quick meal, and we would have temporary seating set up for them to eat and have a good time. But with the pubs closing up, things close around 11-12 p.m.,” they said.
They noted that the first-come-first-served situation here is an issue, adding that they would actually prefer if they could pay something to get a permit if possible. “We would really like a small setup here. We would really like to pay a small fee and have a certain venue, rather than hope for the best everyday,” they said.
A godsend in difficult times
Another couple, Nirosha and Chamindra Botheju, shared with us that they started very recently. “We used to have a place in Diyatha, but there we have to pay a fee of Rs. 4,000 for three days, and that was too steep a fee for us during these pandemic times. We cannot afford to pay that, so we thought we would look for other venues and we came across here.” To secure their spot, they come really early at around 4 a.m. to set up their tent, and then return once people start to come for their walks.
Running a BBQ place with a tent set up, Wasana Jayasuriya shared with us that the vehicle she uses to make sales is a rented one and that she semi-prepares the food at home and prepares it here to display in a workstation and attract customers. She said there really is no huge income, but it has been a godsend in allowing them to continue to survive.
Commenting on the health concerns that some may have with the street food concept during a pandemic, she said that since it is BBQ, there is an understanding that this has to be done on an open flame and such, adding that since all vendors have taken great care to follow the safety guidelines in sanitising and wearing gloves and masks, people have not expressed any concern.
She said that even the vendors who start off without that many precautions end up catching on and being peer-pressured into taking those steps, because everyone here is influenced by the ones following the rules. She is glad for this because if not, there is a worry that they would be shut down with concern of a health hazard. She also said that they take care not to mess the place up and to dispose of their waste responsibly as well.
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A majority of the vendors expressed similar concerns with regard to the uncertainty around the situation, as for many of them, this is currently their primary source of income, and not knowing if they will be banned or shut down at any moment is a constant worry. However, they all shared that the informal nature of it all has allowed them to remain free, and not have to make a payment to any authority, which would limit their income – but there is a general agreement that something is likely to be done about the continued influx of vendors and the growing community in the Kimbulawala walkway.
Photos Lalith Perera and Dimithri Wijesinghe
