• The goal of this program is to provide access to restaurants and their suppliers in Bogota and the region, with a special focus on micro and small businesses, and to achieve an increase of at least 10% in the sales of the companies and restaurants impacted by the program. In Bogotá and the region alone there are more than 29,000 companies in the gastronomic sector, 97% of which are micro-enterprises.

The Bogota Chamber of Commerce announces the third of seven flagship programs aimed at supporting, in a comprehensive manner, the reactivation of micro and small businesses in some of the sectors most affected by the pandemic in Bogota and the Region.

This is Zona Ksera, an initiative that has the backing and support of allies such as the SURA group, SENA, the Government of Cundinamarca, the Secretariat of Economic Development of the District, the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce and Acodres, and seeks the economic reactivation of neighborhood restaurants and their supply network, which has three major benefits for entrepreneurs:

A microsite with content and useful tools for restaurant management that can be consulted free of charge at www.ccb.org.co/zonaksera; a constant schedule of events, training and networking spaces between restaurants and actors in the supply chain such as suppliers of raw materials and supplies; and the possibility of accessing free of charge or under preferential conditions to allied digital platforms that facilitate the digitization of restaurants and increase sales through virtual channels.

Those interested in accessing the contents, programming and benefits of Zona Ksera can enter www.ccb.org.co/zonaksera or call 3830330 for advice. They can also write to the program's email zonaksera@ccb.org.co.

This initiative is in addition to the programs 'Más Ferretero Que Nunca' and 'Bogota Región Más Moda Digital', aimed at MSMEs in the respective sectors.

Nicolás Uribe Rueda, president of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce stated that "the gastronomic sector has been one of the most affected by the effects of the pandemic, especially those family, neighborhood and traditional restaurants that correspond to micro and small businesses in the sector. One of the main needs we have identified in micro and small businesses, which represent 97% of the business fabric of Bogota and the Region, is the urgency to increase their levels of innovation, improve synergies with their suppliers and move further into the era of digital transformation, so the Zona Ksera program aims to support restaurants in this area".

The importance of the reactivation of the catering sector As of February 2021, there are 29,116 companies registered in the gastronomy sector according to the commercial registry. Almost all of these companies (97.7%) are micro-enterprises and nearly nine out of 10 (89.8%) are registered as individuals. These are the ones that require reactivation and most of them are located in the localities of Suba, Kennedy, Engativá, Usaquén, Chapinero and Bosa. In addition, 49.1% of these entrepreneurs are led by women, which shows a high participation of women in comparison with other industries. In terms of job opportunities, this industry generates about 277,094 jobs.