Chariot fuels healthy lives
View(s):Chariot, famous for mouthwatering short-eats, tasty Sri Lankan dishes and delicious sweets, plans to introduce nutritional and healthy meals for corporate clients, and upper and middle class families through its food outlets and catering business.
Shehan Gomez Director
The Chariot chain of restaurants’ new management is headed by young entrepreneur Shehan Gomez, an old Thomian with a Malaysian University degree in Hospitality and Business management.
Mr Gomez says that Chariot’s Nutritional healthy foods are to be prepared under the guidance of nutritionists to suit the needs of their customers. ‘We are very mindful about our health conscious customers and our food preparations will have the required calorie count to suit each individual.
“We are going to offer food suitable for various medical conditions as well ‘ he said.
The food is prepared by experienced and foreign qualified chefs and personally supervised by a head Chef who worked for many years in the USA, Dubai, Algeria and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan food lovers who have been patronising Chariot for years, will be happy to know that their favourite restaurant is now carrying out their business with new vigour and they hope to unveil many novel food concepts in the coming months.
Currently, Chariot food is available at their 12 outlets including Bambalapitya, Dehiwela , Kirulapona, Malabe and Odel store at Town Hall, S. Thomas’ College, and British School Colombo. Chariot also handles catering services in addition to serving dine in and takeaway customers at their outlets. Chariot restaurants undertake catering for corporate events and private functions as well.
23 year old young and enthusiastic Director of Chariot, Shehan Gomez had this to say for Sunday Times Trade Talk
Question: What would you say about most important things your customers are looking for?
Answer: The combination of healthiness and taste is their number one priority. Our customers appreciate the many choices available to them. We offer Food items which are customizable to some degree.
We are going to have a nutrition calculator that tracks every ingredient on our menu, and we plan to work with a nutritionist for people with specific requirements so they can find food that meets their dietary needs.
Everyday eating shouldn’t be stuffy or preachy, it should be nutritious; that is the only way to stay healthy in the long term. “We want our restaurants to retain their old welcoming warmth while infusing them with a touch of streamlined modernity and convenience.”
Q: What is your mission and vision as the youthful director of the company?
A: We a new vision and mission for this well known chain of restaurants underlining our goal to offer discerning customers good food at affordable prices, and to offer them nutritional and healthy meals for long life. Our aim is to satisfy the upper and middle class customers in Colombo and suburbs and later expand o other parts of the country. We are maintaining our restaurants with welcoming warmth while introducing modern facilities and convenience. Chariot plans to launch out of the box items for restaurant sector and we are ready for the challenges ahead. Our aim is to support the health conscious by delivering healthy meals to their doorstep.
Q: How is your business in major outlets such as Odel in Colombo ?
A: Chariot short-eats are already served at the Chariot outlet at Odel. It’s proving to be immensely popular. While we hope to retain our old favourites at both the short-eats counters and restaurants, there will be several new food items for all 
food-lovers.
Chariot restaurants are also serving at Trillium residencies. While we offer residents lunches and dinners on order, we also undertake catering for parties held in these locations.
Chariot Restaurants are operating an outdoor catering section, and it explores the possibility in extending their services to corporate functions meetings, seminars and workshops etc. It will introduce healthy food concept to canteens of the corporate sector as well.
Q: Could you tell us the progress of your company after the change in ownership two years ago?
A: The Chariot chain of restaurants has changed in ownership from Sellamuttus to Gomezs and with in a two year period the number of outlets has been increased to twelve from three. Many new innovations are on the pipeline and we will announce all these in the near future.