Chennai’s iconic Woodlands Drive-in relaunches after 18 years

Relive the nostalgia of Chennai's iconic Woodlands Drive-in at its new Arumbakkam location, offering classic South Indian dishes.

For those of us who grew up in Madras, the memory of Woodlands Drive-in will never fade away. The restaurant, where you could eat dosas from metal trays clamped to your car, was a peaceful retreat from the dust and din of the city. The nearly 12-acre land with a lush green canopy of trees is over 100 years old and needless to say its strategic location, in the heart of Cathedral Road, was a great advantage

Its saga began in 1962, when the Agri-Horticulture Society agreed to sublet a portion of its land to K Krishna Rao, a hotelier, who had by then launched The New Woodlands Hotel in Mylapore in 1952 serving Udupi-style cuisine in Madras. It was here that many Chennaiites tasted their first chola bhatura and bread peas masala. Those who had the luxury of cars, enjoyed their food and filter coffee in them, making this South India’s first drive-in restaurant.

One could walk in by 6am for a cup of coffee and piping hot pongal. The legacy lasted for six decades, when in April 2008 the lease ended and the Agri-Horticultural Society and the State Government decided to develop a botanical garden (Semmozhi Poonga) and a horticulture research centre on this 320 grounds of prime land.

Now after almost 18 years, Woodlands is relaunching its most successful brand, Woodlands Drive-in, on a one-acre plot at Arumbakkam. The brainchild of Suchitra Rao, granddaughter of the founder, and Ram Bhat who runs Matsya at Udupi Home, the space is designed to rekindle memories of the past.

“We found this vast piece of land in the heart of the city and we began to work on developing this into a drive-in restaurant. This is nowhere in comparison to the older one which was sprawling, but we are trying to recreate that nostalgia. We have even created a PB Srinivas corner as well in his memory,” says Ram. The legendary singer Srinivas spent a couple of hours at the old Woodlands Drive-in everyday for over 25 years.

Ram began to tidy up the land and planted saplings in 2021, nurturing the trees through the pandemic. The soft launch happened a few weeks ago and has generated a lot of interest among the public. “Many celebrities dropped by, curious to know how this place looks. During the 70’s and 80s Woodlands Drive-in was frequented by celebrities and film stars,” says Ram.

He adds with a chuckle, “Interestingly, salespersons would assemble at the restaurant by 8.30am, then leave on their rounds, and assemble again by 6pm to discuss sales over a cup of coffee, probably making it the city’s first co-working space! Also it was common to see matrimonial alliances taking place, a tradition that seems to continue here as well.”