Mexico is one of the countries that consume the most Coca-Cola. Each Mexican person drinks an average of 180 liters a year. The citizens drink coke just like drinking water, and the owners of restaurants bulk buy Coca-Cola to make sure that the inventory will not be insufficient to supply. However, in Oaxaca City, the capital of Oaxaca State, the renowned restaurant Los Danzantes announced the restriction on Coca-Cola, noting that they will no longer provide this kind of soft drink, and the restaurant explained their new policy on Twitter.
“Among the words we recognize, Coca-Cola is the most widely known only second to ‘hello.’ Nowadays, The Coca-Cola Company makes use of ‘love, family and friendship’ that are important messages to promote their own products. However, there is no discussion about the myriad consequences of this beverage by eradicating all healthy competing products in the beverage industry, which have made huge influence on human body and global economy,” the restaurant posted.
According to the statistics 2016, there are 9.4% of adults in this South America Country suffering from Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). Although we cannot blame all the responsibilities on Coca-Cola, but this big company definitely plays an important part in the social problem of “sodaholism.” Therefore, Los Danzates has decided to have this beverage extinct in the restaurant, and replace it with Zegacola, a kind of handmade soft drink by a couple in the city.
Zegacola combines oranges, lemon oil, cilantro, lavender, Caffeine and other natural ingredients, and the sugar content of it is much lower than Coca-Cola. It has been two years that the restaurant El Tendajón Agavería provides this beverage. “It’s not easy, because people get used to drink Coca-Cola. Yet we explain that this is the product which is much healthier and made by the local people. Now, the customers actively order Zegacola,” said the jointly founder of El Tendajón Agavería, Andréa Sanchez Lopez.
Los Danzantes are joining El Tendajón Agavería to provide Zegacola now. “Not only because sugary drinks do harm health, but because we also want to strengthen the economy in the city,” the owner Jaime Muñoz explained. “We understand that a tiny change might make huge differences about the habit of drinking. In order to realize the economic equality in Oaxaca City, there is definitely a need that we support local enterprises and purchase local food and beverages to supply in the restaurant,” he noted.
This movement is fully supported by the non-government organization “Puente a la Salud Comunitaria” of which the CEO Pete Noll described it as a “commercial decision with social influence,” indicating that Los Danzantes didn’t do it hypocritically. “Los Danzantes isn’t that kind of ‘a big company, I don’t like what’ve you done,’ but came up with a solution for local necessity.” Noll said.
The hotel entrepreneur thought this movement also helps attracting some tourists looking for the experience of local culture. “Those refectories are providing the experience that customers chase,” he said. In addition, the teacher Luis Alberto Flores Canseco thought that this method can bring the chances for real success with the fame of Los Danzantes in foreign tourists.
It’s too early to talk about that how “cola ban” influence on the restaurants; in addition, Muñoz insists that the ban is a principled decision, and there is no specific targets. The restaurant allows the customers to try Zegacola first, and if they don’t like it, they don’t have to pay. “So far, we have not receive complaints about it,” noted Muñoz.
“Industrialization of food is a loss of culture. If I am able to do a little change on the consumption of cola in Oaxaca City, that means more than anything to me,” Muñoz smiled and said.
