From Food Truck to Homegrown Success: Street Burger Celebrates 10 Years

What began as a food truck on Marine Drive has grown into one of Colombo’s recognised homegrown casual-dining brands and a story of Sri Lankan entrepreneurship and drive. This October, Street Burger celebrates its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of entrepreneurship, evolution and a distinctly Sri Lankan take on the gourmet burger.

Street Burger was founded in 2016, at a time when Colombo’s casual-dining landscape was largely dominated by international fast-food brands. The idea was simple but ambitious: to create an accessible yet elevated burger built around fresh ingredients, quality and flavours that resonated with the local market.

At the heart of that vision were Tharique Shibly and Masoon Samoon, co-founders of Street Burger and Adikted, their latest food venture. Having worked in the food and beverage industry overseas and recognising an opportunity in the market, Tharique and Masoon brought together their complementary strengths, passion for food and entrepreneurial drive to begin Street Burger.

They began with a food truck instead of a conventional restaurant, allowing the founders to interact directly with customers and test drive their concept. This proved to be a defining decision. Word spread. Queues began to build around the food truck. Soon, it became evident that it was time to expand to better cater to growing demand.

As the business evolved, Zimran Zaffarulla and Shazad Fauz joined Street Burger, bringing new experiences and perspectives as the company entered new stages of growth. Today, Street Burger has grown to eight standalone restaurants and has launched an adjacent food brand, Adikted. Yet despite how its expansion, its identity remains firmly connected to where it began: fresh local produce, quality ingredients, consistency and a uniquely Sri Lankan interpretation of the humble burger.

“What began as a food truck and a vision to provide easily accessible but elevated food for customers looking for quality casual dining has grown into something so much larger. Every restaurant, every customer and every person who has been part of Street Burger has contributed to that journey. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who believed in us, supported us and grew with us over the last decade,” said Tharique and Masoon, co-founders of Street Burger.

Ten years on, Street Burger’s journey is a story of Sri Lankan entrepreneurship, persistence, passion and belief in a simple idea. And while much has changed since that first food truck, the spirit which propelled Street Burger remains the same: a love of good food, a commitment to doing it well, and the belief that something proudly Sri Lankan can grow into something truly special.