With the significant growth in the Restaurant food & beverage sector, Colombo City Restaurant Collective (CCRC) was launched by the Colombo City Restaurant owners on Sept 18 at The Stables at Parks Street Mews complex.
The restaurant industry employing over 7,000 in the industry contributes over Rs 10 billion towards the economy annually.
The principal objectives of the association is to be a go-to knowledge hub within the F& B Industry for smart and relevant intelligence, promote industry development by lifting the standards of the industry and be an apex body representing the F& B industry. CCRC also wishes to organize professional exchange programs with other international organizations.
It also plans to assist restaurant owners to open similar institutions in other parts of the country, to expand the membership and share its goals.
It will serve as an important role in compliance and regulatory affairs, working with the relevant government authorities, its agencies on issues that have an impact on the industry such as the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourist Board, Excise Dept, PHI officials & other authorities.
Some of CCRC’s priorities are to continue making Sri Lanka the best destination for Tourists, promoting new F& B concepts, encouraging entrepreneurs joining the industry and raising the bar- when it comes to quality, service and creativity.
CCRC will be a key contributor to locals and tourists equally by being the apex body representing the F& B industry.
Another of its goals is to provide finest quality food & beverage products using the highest food & safety standards.
The membership is open to sole proprietorships, or a company engaged in the operation of management of restaurant or similar establishments and duly licensed by the relevant authorities of Sri Lanka. These establishments should be operating with the approval of the Colombo Municipal Council and possess a valid trade licence and VAT registration.
The Executive Committee consists of well known restaurateurs, chef Gerard Mendis Chairman - Chefs Guild of Lanka and owner of Gerard Mendis Holdings Pvt Ltd as Patron, Harpo Gooneratne - Founder and CEO of Harpo’s Cafes & Restaurants group, as the President, Dharshan Munidasa, founder of Nihonbashi, Ministry of Crab, Kaema Sutra, The Tuna & The Crab, Next Innings and Café Nihonbashi with the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan to have had two of his restaurants ranked on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list as Vice President, Amrita De Saram the founder and owner of August by Mama Aida’s as Treasurer, Kaleel Muzammil - General Manager - ‘Rare’ Bar + kitchen as Secretary, Dinesh Wijesinghe Partner/Managing Director of M.S.D. Capitol Holdings (Pvt) Limited,Operators of the Sugar Bistro and Wine Bar group of restaurants, Sugar Beach Mount Lavinia and Talpe, Bailie Street Merchants Resto Bar, Kava Island Bar and Club Tribe as Asst. Secretary, Saurabh Udeshi Director of Chinese Dragon Cafe and Hisham Cader owner Sandwich Factory, as Committee members.