The Greater Chennai Corporation’s first food court, planned on Indira Nagar 3rd Avenue in Adyar, is now likely to open in 2027 after construction reached only 40% completion, delaying a facility originally expected to be ready by Pongal 2026.
The project involves converting part of an unused shopping complex owned by the civic body into a food court with 30 shops. Foundation and structural work began earlier this year, more than a year after the facility was announced on July 7, 2025. The estimated cost of the construction is ₹4.24 crore.
The proposed shops will include smaller units measuring 110 sq ft and larger units measuring 220 sq ft. The facility is also planned to have a common dining area and parking space for 20 two-wheelers and 16 cars, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The opening was first planned for Pongal this year and was later postponed to August. A senior civic official told the Times of India that structural work is expected to be completed by December. The official attributed the delay to the 2026 election and the subsequent change in government.
The Corporation has decided to operate the food court through a revenue-sharing model under a public-private partnership rather than leasing individual shops directly to brands or franchisees. Under the proposed arrangement, the entire facility will be leased to a single operator, who will be responsible for managing the food court.
“The structural work on the shops is expected to be completed by December. However, as we have opted for a revenue-sharing model under the public-private partnership (PPP), the entire facility will be leased to a single operator instead of renting out individual shops directly to brands or franchises. The tendering process is expected to begin in Jan 2027,” the official said.
The PPP structure is intended to support unified management of the facility and generate higher revenue for the civic body. It also means that the Corporation’s next major milestone will be the tendering process, rather than the immediate allotment of individual shops.
The project is being watched as a possible model for using underutilised civic property for public-facing commercial facilities. Based on public response to the Adyar food court, the Corporation is expected to consider similar food courts in other parts of Chennai as a way to create additional revenue.
For residents, the revised timeline means the planned dining and commercial facility will not be available in 2026 as initially expected. The Corporation’s stated schedule is to complete structural work by December and begin the tendering process in January 2027.
