Those of us who have lived in student flats know that there are objects that appear without anyone remembering very well how they got there. A jug of 100 Montaditos, for example. Be careful, I’m not accusing anyone, I found her in the kitchen when I lived sharing a flat in Barcelona. The fact is that stealing—not stealing—utensils from bars, restaurants or hotels is not something new. What is new is the standardization with which it is done and the real cost it is beginning to have for the sector.
Because taking a “cute” spoon, a nice glass or a towel with a logo is not an isolated anecdote or a cute prank. It is a widespread, systematic phenomenon and, according to national media and internationalincreasingly expensive.
When it affects the budget. The problem is no longer anecdotal. According to data provided to The Spanish by the gastronomic agency Foodie Love, the constant disappearance of objects forces many bars and restaurants to reserve a specific replacement item. In the province of Alicante, one of them – distinguished with a Michelin star – allocates around 2,000 euros annually solely to replacing what customers take away.
The phenomenon has been described in this environment as “posh thefts”: thefts committed not out of necessity, but for fun, collecting or simple impulse. However, the label is as striking as it is questionable. Because, more than sophisticated, these thefts are repetitive, predictable and, in many cases, quite shabby. There is no epic or transgression: there is economic wear and tear and a progressive loss of quality in the premises.
The impulse to take something “just because.” The objects that disappear are repeated with an almost industrial regularity: tableware, consumer products and bathroom items. On tables, what flies the most are coffee spoons, especially if they have a special design, color or texture. While a basic one can cost one euro, a designer one costs four. Saucers, cups, oil bowls, sugar bowls or sweetener jars they follow the same path. Some restaurants they recognize having to buy dozens every month.
The bathroom is another key focus. As waiters report in testimonies collected by Diario Vasco Following a query launched by the profile @soycamarero, soap dishes, toilet paper, air fresheners, plugs, toilet seats, push buttons or even tiles disappear. Irony abounds among workers, but the problem is serious. Furthermore, as detailed in the specialized media Food & Wineit is not necessity, it is sentimentalization of the object, attractive design, alcohol, disinhibition and, above all, a feeling of impunity. The client does not perceive himself as a thief; He tells himself that it is a souvenir.
The theft assumed in hotels. If the phenomenon is worrying in bars and restaurants, in hotels it is directly massive. According to a Hosteltur survey87% of guests admit to having taken something from a room at least once in their lives. Towels, soap dishes, mini pillows and tissue boxes top the ranking. The president of AC Hoteles, Antonio Catalán, acknowledged on the Nude Project podcast that his chain loses more than 80,000 towels a year, both in Spain and Italy. All with a logo, which do not go unnoticed at all.
Some establishments have chosen to take it on as part of the business: tolerating certain losses such as involuntary advertising, selling the objects or charging them directly on the invoice. Others have explored more creative avenues. This is the case of the Swedish chain BWH Hotels, which launched the campaign The Hotel Theft Rewardinviting people to return stolen objects—from lamps to mannequins—in exchange for hotel nights or breakfasts.
What if they catch me? The legal reminder. It is important not to lose sight of the fact that, no matter how normalized it may be, taking an object without permission is theft. As criminal law experts explain cited by RRYP Globalthe Spanish Penal Code clearly distinguishes between theft and robbery, but both are crimes.
If the value of what was stolen does not exceed 400 euros, it is considered a minor crime, punishable by a fine. If it exceeds that amount, it can lead to prison sentences. And not only the isolated object is valued, but the total amount and the circumstances. “I accidentally took it” doesn’t always work as an excuse.
The souvenir that we all pay for. Maybe that jug of 100 Montaditos is still on that floor, turned into a recurring joke. But multiplied by thousands, that same logic empties bars, restaurants and hotels of personality and quality. And it has a direct consequence: more expensive menus or cheaper products, as hoteliers recognize. cited in El Español.
It is not an elegant or rebellious robbery. It is a small, repeated and assumed gesture that ends up having a big effect. And in the end, as almost always, we all end up paying for the souvenir.
Image | freepik
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