Food Studio has expanded its footprint with the opening of Primo and Smashy at Arcade Independence Square, marking an important step in the company’s growth strategy as it takes two of its strongest concepts beyond traditional mall spaces. The launch marks Primo’s fourth location and Smashy’s first move outside a mall environment, reflecting a broader shift towards standalone, high-potential lifestyle destinations.

Established under Liberty Lands & Developments, Food Studio was created as a multi-brand dining concept focused on building scalable, in-house food brands. Since its inception, the company has steadily grown its portfolio, with Primo emerging as its fastest-growing brand and Smashy making its debut earlier this year in January. The opening at Independence Arcade Square signals a new phase in Food Studio’s evolution as it brings its brands closer to where customers live, work and socialise.

The latest opening reflects strong momentum for Primo, whose rapid expansion points to growing consumer demand and a clear product-market fit. At the same time, Smashy’s move into a standalone location demonstrates Food Studio’s confidence in the strength and appeal of its concepts beyond the mall setting. Together, the two brands offer a more accessible and convenient dining experience for customers, including greater ease of ordering for delivery.

Located in one of Colombo’s most prominent lifestyle precincts, the new outlet is expected to strengthen customer engagement while increasing brand visibility in a high-footfall, experience-led environment. The launch also reinforces Food Studio’s confidence in the long-term potential of its homegrown concepts and its ability to scale them across a wider footprint.

Naveed Cader, Managing Director of Food Studio and Group CEO of Liberty Lands & Developments, said, “Food Studio’s expansion beyond traditional mall spaces reflects the direction in which Liberty Lands is evolving as a group. As we sharpen our focus across key growth sectors including cinemas, food and beverage, hospitality, and selected real estate ventures, we see strong long-term potential in building quality Sri Lankan brands that resonate with today’s consumer. Concepts such as Primo and Smashy have already shown strong acceptance locally, and we believe they have the strength to grow far beyond their current footprint. Our vision is not only to support Food Studio’s continued expansion in Sri Lanka, but also to explore how these homegrown brands can be taken to international markets through the right management and franchise opportunities.”

Pictured from left to right: Nadeem Rajabdeen, (CEO, Food Studio), Naveed Cader (MD, Food Studio and Group CEO of Liberty Lands & Developments), Jesse Aston (Culinary Director of Food Studio)

Nadeem Rajabdeen, CEO of Food Studio, also added, “We began as a food court operator, but over time it became clear that the bigger opportunity was to build our own brands with strong identity, quality and long-term potential. Moving into standalone locations is part of that evolution, allowing us to make Primo and Smashy more visible, more accessible and ultimately more scalable as Sri Lankan-born concepts.”

Jesse Aston, Culinary Director of Food Studio, stated, “We’ve built Primo and Smashy around fresh, high-quality food that is both distinctive and accessible. From localised flavours at Primo to Smashy’s simple, freshly made burgers, everything is prepared in-house with quality and value in mind, and we’re excited to bring that experience to a vibrant location like Arcade Independence Square.”

Looking ahead, Food Studio plans to continue expanding its footprint both within Sri Lanka and internationally, furthering its ambition to grow distinctive dining brands that can thrive in a range of locations while responding to changing consumer habits and lifestyle preferences.