Coca-Cola opens ‘Happiness Kiosks’ for traders at Galle Face Green

Spreading joy and cheer this season, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited this week inaugurated 30 ‘Happiness Kiosks’ at the famous Galle Face Green area.

The special initiative is a part of the company’s global ‘Open Happiness’ campaign, inviting people to enjoy small moments of joy and happiness with a bottle of Coca-Cola.

The initiative involves sponsoring and branding of over 30 kiosks around the Galle Face Green area. This grand gesture has come across as a pleasant surprise for the local traders, whose livelihoods were severely affected during the war, when Galle Face Green ceased to function.

The initiative is part of a five-year agreement with the Nidahas Sevaka Waraya Limited, which falls under the governance of the Sri Lankan Ports Authority responsible for the maintenance of Galle Face Green. To ensure that the initiative benefitted the needy and deprived, the Nidahas Sevaka Waraya handpicked the traders themselves.

Working Director of the Sri Lankan Ports Authority Prasanna Kalutharage said: “The traders in this area were very badly affected by the war. They had no means of making money and this is a gesture they will truly appreciate. With the recent boom in the tourism industry, the country needs to expand services to both foreign tourists as well as locals who wish to have a good time at Galle Face Green. The necessity to develop Galle Face Green is greater than ever. Not only will the project help traders who were deprived of their livelihood, it will also enrich the families of all the people who will now work at the kiosks.”

Capitalising on the recent boom in the tourism industry in the country, Coca-Cola’s objective stretches even further. Through this unique initiative, the company is aiming to restore the lost food culture of Galle Face Green, which once saw several families happily spending time together with food and drinks.

Talking about the initiative, Country Manager Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited Patrick Pech said: “This project is quite close to our heart as it gives us the wonderful opportunity to restore the joyous lifestyle that once existed in the city. Coca-Cola’s commitment to reinstate Galle Face Green is also through the special Bathiya N Santhush Concert that was organised by Coca-Cola during the re-opening ceremony of the place.

“Through this initiative, many families can now re-live their old memories and introduce the next generation to the culture of joy that they were used to. This will be a chance to introduce a new dimension to Galle Face Green, along with bringing back the old culture. This project reflects our attempts at promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.”

Being committed to the cause of environment protection and sustainability, Coca-Cola will also be providing several waste bins which will be strategically placed in the area. This will not just make the project environment friendly but also have a healthy impact on people.

Country Marketing Manager Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited Shamal Gunawardene said: “For us, sustainability has been one of the most important aspects of this project. Through this initiative, we are looking at giving these people the skills to be entrepreneurs, which will greatly help sustain the local economy.

“In-addition, we are also educating the traders on how to maintain kiosks so as to allow them to further expand the business. The aim of this project is to develop these smaller businesses and to create a trade environment for them. This, in turn, will create a long-term system that sustains itself effectively.”