Street dessert kiosks offering affordable sweets have been on the rise in the Kerala capital

The street food platoon outside MG College at Kesavadasapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, resembles a buffet dinner that comes alive at dusk. From tangy, mouth-watering pani puris to piping hot waffles doused in chocolate sauce, this street serves flavours from all corners of the world.

One eatery that catches your eye is Choco Bae, known for its continental dessert options, such as the Matilda cake — a decadent chocolate cake renowned for its moist texture and glossy finish, which owes its origins to a scene from the 1996 English film Matilda. Customers patiently line up outside the kiosk for this sweet street treat, as co-owner Bala Suresh carefully places slices on disposable plates.

Matilda cake from Choco Bae
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

Bala, 24, is part of a new wave of entrepreneurs in the city who, facing financial and logistical hurdles, choose to open small dessert stalls offering affordable dishes. A few months ago, his passion for sweets led him to open Choco Bae, despite limited funds.

Treats such as brownies, cheesecakes, kunafa bowls, and others are available in the city starting from ₹39, thanks to outlets such as Postre Magic, Haps the Melting Happiness, and Wancho de Boc.

“I opened a cloud kitchen at home because I had to invest only in an oven. Then, with the help of my friends and business partners, Sharavana Kumar and Fazil S, I launched a stall. Recently, we started a second stall at Palayam,” says Bala.

Anandhu S started Wancho de Boc, also located near MG College, after he finished his MBA. His plan was to expand his mother’s home-baking business, which has been functioning since 2018. “In the long run, we wanted our own cafe. But before that we wanted to spread the word about our brand with this cart,” says Anandhu, who serves triple chocolate bananas, chocolate brownies, varieties of buns, and waffles.

Wancho de Boc cart located near MG College
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Husband-wife duo Nabeel AS and Afsana H opened Haps…, a dessert truck at Kulathoor, featuring Arabian desserts after observing the social media hype around sweets such as koshary and salankatia, two Egyptian desserts topped with pistachios and Nutella. “Initially, we couldn’t find a suitable space for our business. So, we decided to start a food truck,” says Nabeel. Their menu also includes qashtota (rice pudding with milk cake) and bamboza made with fresh fruits and nuts, available from ₹100. The dishes are available in 350 ml and 500 ml tubs.

Scenes from Haps the Melting Happiness
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

These carts are also for people who cannot afford to dine at cafes, say the owners. “The aim is to make dishes affordable for the public, thus allowing us to gauge the responses for our desserts across demographics,” says Akhila Suresh, one of the owners of Postre Magic, a dessert cart at Kuravankonam. Their menu features a variety of milk cakes, fruit tubs, cheesecakes, and so on. Akhila runs the kiosk with her husband, Murali Krishna.

Murali Krishna at Postre Magic
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

Some owners say they were inspired by the food cart culture in Tamil Nadu. Bala avers that he referred to the menus of several outlets in Coimbatore before he designed his own, to establish a profitable margin while maintaining a moderate price.

These stalls mostly attract youngsters and families, which has to do with the location as well. Some of the outlets are located outside college campuses, which brings in the 18 to 24 age group. However, in the case of Haps… located near Technopark, the IT crowd is the main customer base, especially those who walk in after their shifts or breaks during late evenings and nights.

This model of the dessert carts also allows the brands to build their identities outside their kiosks. For instance, Wancho de Boc is a constant collaborator with Gokulam Medical College, setting up stalls on their campus during the day. “We are also collaborating with other private companies in Technopark, selling our baked goods at their offices on specific days. We have a different menu for such occasions, which mostly comprises ready-to-eat desserts rather than sweets which require any preparation,” says Anandhu.

Waffles being made at Wancho de Boc
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

However, running these dessert kiosks comes with its own challenges especially when it rains heavily. They cannot open their kiosks which takes a toll on their returns.

Earlier in October, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation conducted a drive to remove street hawkers from illegally using carriageways and pavements. “It affected us a lot for a few days. While we were able to set up the stall again as we met their hygiene standards and space restrictions, many people think the street food places are completely shut down,” says Bala.

He adds, “ At some point I want to set up my own cafe. These carts will still be there, but I want a place of my own.”

Published – February 05, 2026 05:00 pm IST