Coca-Cola HBC Croatia launched the Raise the Bar project with the aim of increasing the number of qualified workers in the hospitality and tourism sector. The project consists of three programs – the Raise the Bar Academy, which focuses on providing education to waiters, bartenders and baristas, Raise the Bar scholarships for promising young talents in gastronomy, and collaboration with various Centres of Competence.

After starting a new educational cycle at the beginning of the year, welcoming the second generation of young bartenders and baristas, the Raise the Bar Academy was forced to temporarily close its doors to program participants due to the declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the circumstances, the team behind the project continued working tirelessly on finding ways to help the hospitality sector, which found itself in a truly unenviable situation, and thus contribute to the relief efforts. This is how, among other things, the team came up with the idea to provide financial assistance to bartenders who continued working for minimum wages in bars offering a cocktail delivery service.

“When we were starting the project, the situation in the market was quite different from the one we are witnessing today. However, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to help the hospitality sector. Although we also feel the consequences of the unfortunate situation that has affected our entire community, we are aware that there are many people who are in a far worse position than us. Our efforts are therefore focused on making things at least a little bit easier for them, while supporting and keeping alive the cocktail culture we have built together. The project’s purpose was to support the hospitality and tourism sector from the start, but the type of support that we can, want and need to provide has changed. We hope that things will take a turn for the better soon, but we are aware that it will be some time before the scene starts making its way to recovery,” said Filip Verbanac, Raise the Bar Project Manager.

Noel, Time and Roots are the bars that have already taken advantage of the financial assistance provided under the project. They have enriched their offer with cocktails to go available for order via one of the food delivery platforms or directly from the hospitality facility. The team behind the Raise the Bar project hopes to see more bars join the initiative and continues to make relentless efforts to actively encourage the public to support the hospitality sector by embracing the product delivery service, as well as to find new ways to help.

Other activities envisaged under the project, including the continuation of the Raise the Bar Academy program for the benefit of the second generation of participants, are planned for the second half of the year. Until that time, the project activities will be focused on supporting and empowering the hospitality sector during this crisis.