Olwyn Weerasekera, the owner of Beach Wadiya is from the south of the country, and had no prior training in this industry. It was his love for the food of the south that influenced him a great deal to dive into this restaurant business. And prior to this he was involved in a pharmaceutical firm. "Necessity is the mother of invention," he said adding, "I had to survive and live on this – that made me carry on this and continue," he said. From Sunday Times

The Beach wadiya had been patronised over three decades by all rungs of society both local and foreign. Britain's Queen Elizabeth's daughter, Princess Anne too had dined at the Wadiya, as did members of the Nepalese Royal familys. The Wadiya is an unpretentious sea-food joint off a virgin beach along Galle Face that has won international renown, if the newspaper write-ups and photo albums (which the owner produces voluntarily) is any indication. The acclaim is merited too: the food is ‘simply superb’ to use a Richie Benaud euphemism.