BUSINESS
EYE ON
SPAIN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Spain has always been known as an exciting culinary destination. However, Covid-19 has put a huge strain on many of the country's restaurants. Against this backdrop, we asked five professionals to share their experiences of operating in a crisis.
What culinary trends have been forecast? I think that sustainability will be a real trend. It was a trend before the coronavirus, but now it is stronger than ever.
How do you expect the hospitality sector to move forward?
Eduard Xatruch Cerro Chef and co-owner, Compartir and Disfrutar restaurants
COVID-19 has brought the hospitality industry to a standstill. How is Spain’s restaurant sector reinventing itself? Nowadays, the demand is from locals, but they are not consuming as much as before and are dealing with their own problems.
How did you decide to tackle the challenges stemming from the crisis? We thought a lot about it and decided to focus on our core values, those that have brought us here. Although we can accommodate fewer customers, the response has been positive. We can continue working with a full team, which was something that concerned us during the lockdown.
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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT-NOV 2020
Paul Haddad Chef and owner, Beirut-Barcelona restaurant
COVID-19 has brought the hospitality industry to a standstill. How is Spain’s restaurant sector reinventing itself?
Everybody is trying to do his or her best. For example, take-away is something that became more popular during the lockdown, and I think this trend will continue for a long time. Unfortunately, many restaurants will not be able to open again. Those that are able to resume business will need to work on their adaptability and creativity.
The pandemic forced the closure of the entire sector for three months. The reopening in Spain is proving to be very complicated because the idea of going to a restaurant is to share, but COVID-19 is forcing people to stay away. Also, restaurants can only operate at 50 percent capacity. Delivery is becoming very important, which the local market was not strong at previously. Menus are being replaced by QR codes.
Do you have any projects in the pipeline?
How do you expect the hospitality sector to move forward?
Our main projects right now are Compartir and Disfrutar. We are working hard because we want both our restaurants to be better than ever. At the same time, we will offer a snack box and a cocktail box for delivery at Disfrutar. It is something new that we started working on at the end of August. We are also putting our efforts into a book about Disfrutar. We hope to publish it at the end of this year. In parallel, we are also continuing our consultancy services for other brands.
I think we will move towards healthier, traditional food.
What is encouraging people to travel to Spain despite the pandemic? Spain will always be a country that welcomes tourists, many of whom come for the weather and gorgeous beaches.
How is the restaurant industry recovering? Recovery is slow, and entrepreneurs are waiting to take decisions.
