- Barista and KOKO partner up to introduce a three-part payment plan
Ever since the economic crisis hit Sri Lanka, many little things in life that once were obtained without a second thought have become luxurious. Grabbing a coffee a year or two ago was no big deal – pop in and out of a coffee shop and the biggest decision would be which flavour to get. Cut to 2022, and every single thing has skyrocketed in price, leaving having a meal outside a fond memory or a distant dream.
Barista – a well-known coffee house chain in Sri Lanka – took it upon itself to ensure that its customers would still be able to indulge in a cup of coffee without immediately breaking the bank. Parting the sea of unaffordability, Barista announced “Let There Be Coffee”. This latest initiative launched by Barista emphasises the magnitude of having a companion by your side to get through these difficult times.
Barista Coffee Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the KOKO app developers dInnovation (Pvt.) Ltd. at the Barista Outlet at World Trade Center. So by partnering with the innovative KOKO App, the coffee shop provided customers of both Barista and KOKO the opportunity to pay for any purchase at Barista in three instalments. Putting it simply, customers can now freely enjoy coffee, food, and snacks without hassle or undue economical pressure, or to celebrate any occasion by splitting the cost into three simple instalments.
The project was successfully launched on 10 June, and has gained high traction since. Currently, all Barista products are available for purchase via the KOKO app, with KOKO supported as a new payment option at all Barista stores and online platforms facilitating the three-instalment payment opportunity.
Brunch reached out to Barista Chief Executive Officer Dilupa Pathirana, who gave us more insight on this venture, as well as what we can expect from Barista in the next few months.
Commenting on what the motivation behind this partnership was, Pathirana told us that upon observing the current volatile economic and other macro environmental factors, Barista wanted to provide a way that its customers wouldn’t have to compromise on their daily coffee.
“We strongly believe that this option will encourage them to rally around the largest and the most preferred café chain in Sri Lanka, while not having to think twice about what it is costing them,” he shared, when asked about the reception of this initiative, adding that Barista has been brewing the finest Lavazza coffee since 2002 in Sri Lanka and even amidst the uncertain time, will continue to only serve the finest Lavazza at all outlets.
At a time where most cafés and restaurants are faced with the difficult choice of cutting down on quality or quantity, we asked Pathirana which choice Barista had gone with.
He shared that despite the challenges, they have not yet opted for dropping the quality of our coffee or cutting costs.
“Our customers have been our greatest strength for many years and we do not want to damage the trust that customers have placed in us,” he told us, adding that with the partnership with KOKO, he hopes the prices will remain affordable in the eyes of their customers.
Revealing what we can expect in the coming month, Dilupa shared with us that this was only the first project in many to come, where they will focus on new ways and means to make sure their customers are able to keep coming back, even with the soaring cost of food. He told us that Barista is currently working on a series of new projects to ensure that the local community will not compromise on coffee at any cost, as coffee could be a comforting companion during such trying times.
