People power saves beloved Zagreb kiosk and worker

Tisak

When a favourite neighbourhood kiosk in Zagreb and its beloved 61-year-old worker, Ljiljana, faced closure, local residents banded together to keep both in their lives.

After the announcement of the planned closure of the Tisak kiosk on Martićeva Street in Zagreb, a petition was quickly launched, with residents determined to prevent the closure and retain Ljiljana in her post.

In the petition, local residents called the kiosk “a part of the neighbourhood’s cultural identity.”

“Ljiljana Rožman, with her exceptionally humane and professional approach, has made the kiosk a wonderfully welcoming space for all of us who live and work nearby,” the petition read in an appeal to Tisak. “Many of us buy our newspapers and essentials exclusively at the Martićeva kiosk because of the endlessly kind and friendly treatment we receive there.”

“We’d especially like to highlight the large number of pensioners in our community who rely on this kiosk for assistance with filling in payment slips, parcel forms, and more. Most importantly, they receive respectful, warm communication, full of support, patience, and understanding,” the petition read.

As Jutarnji list reported on Monday, Tisak has now responded, stating that Ljiljana will indeed keep her job. The company’s statement reads:

“Our decision to close the kiosk on Martićeva Street was based primarily on the fact that this location had not shown sustainable business performance and has been operating at a loss for an extended period.

However, the response from local residents, which underscored how much our kiosks contribute to local identity and how valued our colleagues are in the community’s daily life, led us to prioritise community sentiment over business rationale in this case.

As a result, we have decided to keep the Martićeva kiosk open, which also means our two colleagues, who had already accepted positions at other locations, will continue to work here.”

The statement continued: “The company will thus continue to bear the losses from this location. Tisak is fully aware of the implications that closures carry, and such decisions are only made after thorough analysis and careful consideration of all available options.

Yet, it is not always possible to balance all factors that meet the key indicators of loss-free operations while maintaining community satisfaction with our products and services.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of our operations, and thus safeguard the jobs of more than 2,000 employees, such difficult decisions are sometimes necessary. While we remain committed to providing our selection of products and fostering the close relationships our colleagues have with customers, we emphasise that Tisak’s long-term imperative is to operate without incurring losses.”

This story has resonated strongly with the local community, who view it as a victory of people power and a testament to the loyalty they feel toward Ljiljana and her kiosk.