Wansa Hettiarachchi Takes Mama Roma from Weligama to Mount Lavinia

A Career Shaped by Hospitality

For Wansa Hettiarachchi, hospitality has always been about more than providing a service. It is about creating experiences that bring people together and leave lasting impressions. After more than 30 years working across tourism, destination management, hotels, villas and food and beverage, he is bringing that philosophy to the next chapter of Mama Roma Authentic Italian Restaurant in Mount Lavinia.

Officially opened on 8 October 2026, the new destination marks a significant step for the concept, which began at Kurumba Bay in Weligama in 2021. What started as an Italian restaurant on Sri Lanka’s southern coast has evolved into a broader hospitality offering designed to accommodate dining, leisure, entertainment and social gatherings.

Understanding the Guest Experience

As Managing Director of Crystal Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, Crystal Villas (Pvt) Ltd, Westend Hotels (Pvt) Ltd and The Beach Club Weligama (Pvt) Ltd, Hettiarachchi has developed extensive experience across different segments of the tourism and hospitality sector. Working with travellers from Europe, Asia, Australia, the United States, the Maldives and other markets has helped shape his understanding of the expectations that define a memorable guest experience.

For him, the quality of a hospitality business extends beyond its core offering. Food, service, atmosphere and attention to detail all contribute to how guests perceive a destination.

From Weligama to Mount Lavinia

That understanding informed the development of Mama Roma in Weligama, where Italian cuisine was introduced within a relaxed coastal setting. The experience provided the foundation for the brand’s expansion into Mount Lavinia, a location with a different customer base and a strong connection to Colombo’s dining and social scene.

The new venue is designed as a multi-level hospitality destination, bringing together an Italian restaurant, café, sports bar, private dining spaces and a rooftop lounge overlooking the Indian Ocean. Its varied spaces allow it to cater to different occasions, from casual coffee meetings and family dinners to private functions and evenings with friends.

Italian Flavours, Sri Lankan Hospitality

Italian cuisine remains central to the concept, with pizza, fresh pasta and Italian-inspired dishes forming key elements of the menu. The wider experience seeks to balance the character of Italian dining with the warmth and attentiveness associated with Sri Lankan hospitality.

The Mount Lavinia opening also reflects changing expectations among diners, who increasingly seek venues that offer more than a meal. By combining food, entertainment and leisure within one destination, Mama Roma aims to create an environment that appeals to residents, business communities and visitors alike.

Building the Next Chapter

For Hettiarachchi, the expansion brings together many of the disciplines he has pursued throughout his career. His experience in travel and destination management, accommodation and guest services now finds expression in a restaurant concept built around hospitality and shared experiences.

The move from Weligama to Mount Lavinia is therefore more than a change of location. It represents the evolution of an idea shaped by decades of experience in understanding people, places and the details that make hospitality meaningful.

As Mama Roma begins its next chapter by the Indian Ocean, Hettiarachchi’s focus remains on a principle that has guided his career: creating places where people feel welcome, enjoy meaningful experiences and want to return.