Founders · Sri Lanka
Two brothers-in-law built Chocoholics into a four-outlet Belgian chocolate cafe brand
Fayaz Nizam and Mohamed Wazni Wazeer had both closed businesses before they opened a 40-seat cafe in Colombo in 2017. It overflowed from the first week. Chocoholics now has four outlets, more than 200 seats, and its first overseas outlet in Saudi Arabia.
In short
Chocoholics is a Colombo dessert cafe brand built around Belgian chocolate, founded in 2017 by brothers-in-law Fayaz Nizam and Mohamed Wazni Wazeer. The first outlet had about 40 seats. Today there are four in Colombo with more than 200 seats, and the founders report annual revenue above US$1.2 million. They have opened in Saudi Arabia and say Singapore and Malaysia are underway.
The story
Before Chocoholics, real Belgian chocolate in Sri Lanka was something a relative brought back in a suitcase. The founders put it plainly in their interview with us: it was only enjoyed if someone brought it back from abroad. Fayaz and Wazni had shared a family table for more than 20 years, and the idea kept coming up.
Neither had a smooth run before it. Fayaz went into business at 18 with a travel company, closed it, and sold his car to settle debts to airlines, then spent about six years in his father's business. Wazni, an electronics engineer from the University of Sussex with an MBA from Nottingham, worked in telecoms at Dialog, Hutchison and Mobitel, moved to Malaysia in 2004, and built and closed ventures in telecom, education and consumer goods. One of them, an international language centre in Malaysia, is still running.
In 2017 they pooled their savings and opened Chocoholics, which they describe as Sri Lanka's first premium chocolate cafe. The first outlet seated about 40 people and was overwhelmed from the start. When the pandemic and then the economic crisis hit, they opened new outlets rather than closing any. There are now four across Colombo with more than 200 seats, serving pancakes, waffles and crepes to what the founders say are thousands of loyal customers a month.
Their advice to anyone building a business with family is to start with trust and make sure your values align, and to remember that the brand comes first. The next three to five years are about leaving the island: Saudi Arabia is open, and Singapore and Malaysia are next.
Timeline
- Before 2017Fayaz starts a travel company at 18, closes it, and joins his father's business. Wazni moves to Malaysia in 2004, completes an MBA and builds ventures across telecom, education and consumer goods.
- 2017Chocoholics opens in Colombo with about 40 seats.
- 2020 to 2022Through the pandemic and the economic crisis the brand opens new outlets rather than closing.
- 2025Four outlets in Colombo, 200+ seats. First overseas outlet opens in Saudi Arabia.
- NextSingapore and Malaysia.
Chocoholics in numbers
Questions people ask
Who founded Chocoholics?
Brothers-in-law Fayaz Nizam and Mohamed Wazni Wazeer, in 2017.
How many outlets are there?
Four in Colombo, plus a first overseas outlet in Saudi Arabia according to the founders.
What does Chocoholics sell?
Desserts made with Belgian chocolate: pancakes, waffles, crepes and drinks.
How big is the business?
The founders report more than US$1.2 million a year in revenue and thousands of customers a month. These are the company's own figures.