Lakruwana Wijesinghe Honored for Dedication to Local Sri Lankan Community
By Michael Anderson, The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Little did Lakruwana Wijesinghe know that a simple trip aboard the Staten Island Ferry would direct his future path as a restaurateur and eventually help him become a major influencer, bringing Sri Lankan culture to the borough.
On that ride back in 1989, the Stapleton resident, who immigrated to Staten Island from Sri Lanka in 1983, met his future wife, Jayantha.
The couple dated and eventually fell in love.
And it didn’t take long for Wijesinghe to fall in love with her wonderful culinary skills. That’s when the tandem decided perhaps the time was right to capitalize on her expertise in the kitchen while honoring their culture that they loved so much.
“I was able to see that she was a very good cook. At that time, there were no Sri Lankan restaurants in New York City, so we decided to open,” he said.
His first venture, called Lakruwana Gourmet Restaurant, opened in 1995 on 44th Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. Although it was a new entity in the food world, the eatery achieved early success.
“Because it was in the Theatre District, I would get a big crowd from that theater crowd,” he said.
Unfortunately, the Manhattan restaurant caught on fire in 2004. Instead of abandoning the restaurant business, Wijesinghe decided to open Lakruwana Gourmet Restaurant closer to home on Staten Island at 5 Corson Ave. (near the intersection with Victory Boulevard) in Tompkinsville. Wijesinghe sold that restaurant after a few years, and then established Lakruwana in 2010 at its current location at 668 Bay St. in Stapleton.
Today, the borough boasts an eclectic mix of food options, including several Sri Lankan eateries. But in the early 2000s, the restaurateur took a significant risk opening the first Sri Lankan restaurants in the area.
“In the beginning, it was tough. But after that, I started to meet more people and gain community support,” recalled Wijesinghe.
Although the restaurant’s primary attraction is its food, which Wijesinghe said relies on coconut-based curry instead of yogurt-based curry as its base, the restaurant is also renowned for its décor. Wijesinghe designed the dining room by traveling back to Sri Lanka and shipping all the art, cultural pieces and silverware to New York City in a 40-foot shipping container.
“This is my culture, and I wanted to show my culture to the American people,” he said. “I would get people who didn’t know where Sri Lanka was. And then when I opened the restaurant, people would start to ask, and I would show them on the map.”
While making customers feel like they’re transported to another country is a great feature, ultimately, restaurants won’t succeed without paying customers. Since Sri Lankan food was a relative unknown, Wijesinghe decided a great way to attract diners was offering a weekend buffet.
“The buffet helped us. Everybody can come in and choose up to 20 items to taste. Everybody seemed happy with that,” said Wijesinghe. “I started those buffets in Manhattan and saw that it added customers.”
Buoyed by the distinct food, pleasant surroundings, and the fact that Staten Island boasts almost 30% of New York City’s nearly 5,000 Sri Lankan population, it didn’t take long for Lakruwana to build its strong following. However, that all changed this past spring as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted thousands of small businesses, with restaurants possibly suffering the hardest hits.
The restaurant was forced to close for three months while the staff was furloughed.
When the business reopened, Lakruwana could only accommodate 44 diners (between outdoor and indoor dining) to comply with the state’s new rules and regulations. Wijesinghe and his family (wife and daughter, Julia) needed to take on new roles as waiters, busboys and delivery people.
“I had to pay my bills, so I had to open the restaurant,” he said. “Everything was done by us now. But I had to do it, or else I had to close.”
For his accomplishments, Wijesinghe is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which he will receive in the Established Businessperson category. The awards -- which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance -- honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader.
In 2004, Wijesinghe created the Lakruwana Foundation, which funds and operates a preschool, a library, a playground, a community center and a shrine room for worship on 3 acres of land in Sri Lanka, which is dedicated to the memory of his mother.
Locally, he serves as a mentor for other business people seeking advice in the Sri Lankan restaurant community. When the Staten Island Buddhist Vihara Meditation Center & Healing Garden was built in 1999 in Elm Park, Wijesinghe and his wife were actively involved, including donating all the murals and other art objects.
Pressed by his daughter for other ways to highlight Sri Lankan culture, Wijesinghe supplied the start-up capital and location (basement in Lakruwana) in 2017 to create New York City’s only Sri Lankan museum, a non-profit cultural. To house the Buddha statues (replicas and originals), ceremonial weapons, musical instruments, cooking implements, temple objects, a rubber-tree log, gemstones, and statues of Hindu deities like Krishna and Ganesha, the museum outgrew its space and moved to a larger area two years ago at 61 Canal St. in Stapleton.
“The basement was too small, and now we have the bigger place,” he said. “I’m so happy that I get to show my culture and show how Sri Lankan culture is different from here. People come, and they ask questions, and that’s the best thing.”
Wijesinghe said he also looks forward to May when he observes Vesak Day, which is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists worldwide, since it was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born. To celebrate, Wijesinghe provides free meals to the neighborhood.
“That’s part of the culture to give out free food for Buddha’s birthday. That’s what they do in Sri Lanka,” he said. “We give away free food, but it’s only on that one day of the year.”
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Recipients of the Louis R. Miller Awards are recognized as effective business leaders, and for their outstanding contributions to the local community. Awards are given out in four categories: Emerging, Established, Master, and Not-For-Profit. The honorees will be recognized during the annual Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Awards Breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 25. This year’s event is virtual. For tickets, visit www.sichamber.com or call the Chamber at 718-727-1900.
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Below, Wijesinghe shares more about his goals, job, and life:
Current occupation/Title: Founder of Lakruwana restaurant
Hometown: Stapleton
Past Occupation: Store cashier
Community Involvement: I give away free food every year on Buddha’s Birthday.
Some of my life goals: To franchise Lakruwana restaurant in all 50 states.
The best part of my job: Being able to meet different people and sharing my culture to its fullest by sharing my restaurant décor and having the taste of Sri Lanka paradise cuisine.
The most difficult part of my job: The most difficult part was starting my restaurant.
My life philosophy: To be happy all the time.
I am most proud of: I’m most proud of opening the first Sri Lankan restaurant in New York City.
Something that no one knows about me: I’m a genuine person.
The quality I like best about myself: I’m creative.
Personal Interests and hobbies: My interest is antiques. My hobby is to watch movies.
I laugh at: My daughter’s jokes.
I am really good at: Decorating my home and restaurant.
I admire: My wife. She is my strength.