restaurant

Apparently, the oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid

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Here’s a question for note: What do Tarantino, Hemingway, Tom Jones, Pérez Galdós, Charlton Heston and Nancy Reagan have in common? The answer is that all those celebrities enjoyed (or that’s what tradition says) of the stews served in one of the most special restaurants on the entire planet: Botin Housea food establishment famous for its barbecues located in the historic center of Madrid, five minutes from the Plaza Mayor. If the business is famous beyond the capital or Spain, however, it is not because of its vast list of illustrious clients, nor even for its baked suckling pig or lamb. What stands out is its age. The restaurant owners come back Its origins date back to 1725, which would make it the oldest in the world. This is how it appears certainly in the Guinness of records. The oldest? That’s how it is. The world is very big and above all it has many, many restaurants (in Spain close to 90,000), but if we ask the authors of the Guinness book no doubt Which is the oldest of all: Botín, a restaurant that traces its origins back to the beginning of the 18th century. This is how its owners defend it, they need that the business was founded in 1725, and so it is recognized the most famous record guide on the planet, the Guinness World Records. In fact, the place generates so much interest that in 2025, coinciding with its 300th anniversary, it starred in chronicles in media such as Smithsonian Magazine, The Times either Financial Timeswhose reporters took the opportunity to try their famous baked suckling pig and order a bottle of Rioja. And what is its story? The Guinness Book assures that the restaurant was set up in the 18th century by a French chef, Jean Botin, and his wife, originally from Asturias. Other versions they need that it was Jean’s nephew, Cándido Remis, who started the business (hence why he is known as ‘Botín’s Nephew’). What all versions agree on is that the origins of the business date back to 1725 and that the building it occupies, on Cuchilleros Street, is even earlier and can be dated to late 16th century. Another surprising fact is that, despite its astonishing longevity, the restaurant has only passed through the hands of two families: first that of its founder, then, already in the 1930s, that of the González family, who have run the restaurant since before the Civil War. How is it possible? The big question. No matter how good a restaurant is, no matter how much effort its owners put into it, or how appetizing their food is, it usually ends up declining over time. Changes in tastes, changes in cities, crises, pandemics, wars, generational changes… there are many rocks on which a family business like Casa Botín can run aground. If there is something exceptional about her, beyond her piglets, it is her great resilience and ability to adapt to changes. The authors of the Guinness Book themselves remember Until the 18th century, the inn could not sell meat or food. He only cooked the food that the guests brought. “There is a legend that it was feared that if taverns served meals, men would never return home to their wives,” remember in Smithsonian Magazine Floriana Gennari, anthropologist. Over time, towards the 19th century, the business began to be called a ‘restaurant’, emulating the culinary fashions of France and opting for a more select approach. “In fact they made cakes and sweets before focusing on pork and local meat,” duck Gennari. Is it really the oldest? Its owners so they claim. And this has been recognized by the Guiness World Record and international media that present it as such, including National Geographic, Forbes, cnn or Forbes, which included it in 2012 your selection of “10 classic restaurants to visit”. Now, the popular establishment on Cuchilleros Street is not the only one to claim that title. Without leaving the Community of Madrid we found another business, the Casa Pedro tavern, which hold that its origins can be traced back even further in time, to 1702. Even the international press has been echoed of the struggle between both establishments to be able to hang in their living room the certificate that distinguishes them as the oldest restaurant. Outside of Spain there are also businesses that they assure have a centuries-old history behind them, some even greater than Botín’s. And what are they? There are those who say that in Salzburg there is a place, the St. Peter Stifskulinariumwhich was founded in the 9th century. In Regensburg (Germany) there is another that dates back its history to the 12th century, the same century in which the museum supposedly opened its doors. Ma Yu Chingin Henan, China. In Japan we also find some restaurant which ensures that its history is well before that of Botín. Probably what few can compare with Botín (besides his suckling pig) is his history, rich in legends. It is said that Goya came to work at the premises washing dishes, Galdós organized gatherings there and the fire in his oven has never gone out, not even during the pandemic. Enough to have captivated figures like Hemingway, who mentions the restaurant in his work ‘Fiesta’. Images | Wikipedia 1 and 2 In Xataka | In Vigo the hoteliers have decided that it is enough to occupy tables to just have a coffee. Solution: minimum consumption

Mercadona has been a threat to other supermarket and restaurant chains for years. Now it is for Starbucks

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Mercadona gained fame (and money) as a supermarket chain, but it has long since explore business avenues in sectors that go far beyond the retail traditional. The clearest movement was made in 2018, when it launched a section of cooked dishes and “ready to eat” (in fact the service is literally called that) that has grown at record speed. Today it is already offered in 1,110 stores and has allowed Juan Roig’s chain to become an unexpected rival for hoteliers, who have seen how the firm monopolizes almost 20% of the expense in food and drink, more than bars and restaurants. Now there is another sector with reasons to be on guard: coffee shops. What has happened? That Mercadona has just launched a new service in Euskadi. At the end of February The Mail revealed that the Valencian chain installed a freshly ground coffee machine ready to go in a supermarket in Bilbao. Said like this, it may seem like minor news, but it has more to it than it seems. To begin with, because it is the first Mercadona establishment to adopt this service in Basque lands. Second, because it demonstrates the speed with which the company is filling its supermarkets with ground coffee machines. Are you riding that many? It’s not so much that coffee makers are available in many stores as it is the speed at which they are expanding. Mercadona’s commitment to freshly ground coffee machines is very recent. People began to talk about her in March 2025when the company started its first tests in a handful of locations in the province of Valencia. “This is a laboratory,” the company then recognizedwho did not hide his desire to move the bet beyond Valencia. Its initial objective was that (if the idea worked) it would move to premises in the Community of Madrid after the summer. Now it is looking further, as demonstrated by its premiere in Bilbao. Is it really growing? Yes. At least if we take as reference the dossier of gastronomic services published by Mercadona itself on its website. It details that the company has continued to expand its network of coffee services, taking it to new cities. Not only that. For months Mercadona advertise the service with a specific section in which it states that it has black coffee, milk, coffee and cappuccinos. The cups can be consumed on the premises. The bet connects in part with Mercadona’s new store concept, the T9which seeks to adapt the premises to new consumer trends. Why is it important? Everything that revolves around Mercadona generates expectation. And it’s normal. Roig’s firm has managed to conquer a market share of about 30%which (beyond struggles within the retail) means that it is the chain that thousands of families trust when they need to fill their refrigerators. This growth has allowed it to become a heavyweight in the food sector, one that is no longer just viewed with suspicion by the rest of the supermarket chains. Its long shadow is also felt in the hospitality industry. Recently the consulting firm Worldpanel by Numerator published a report in which it states that Mercadona already has a value share in food and beverage consumption of 19.7%. What does that mean? That practically a fifth of everything we spend on food and drink ends up at Mercadona checkouts. The percentage is tremendous not only because of its reach. It is also the case when compared with other actors analyzed in the same study. The sum of bars, cafes and terraces is assigned a quota of around 11.2% and independent restaurants 8.6%. Conclusion: Mercadona is not only ending the idea of ​​cooking at home, it threatens to do the same with restaurants. Why is it important? Because regardless of how Mercadona is doing, its commitment reflects profound changes in the consumption habits of Spaniards. In fact, the chain’s success is largely explained by its aim when drawing up strategies. First, it opted for the short assortment model, filling its shelves with private label items. He then launched himself into the prepared food market, convinced that kitchens have the days counted. Now your new bet invites you to ask yourself another question: Will we continue going to cafes for a mid-morning coffee or will we have it at the supermarket? Images | Mercadona In Xataka | The war against Mercadona in Spanish retail is having a great beneficiary: the supermarket next to home

Mercadona’s future looks less like that of a supermarket and more like that of a takeaway restaurant

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Juan Roig, founder of Mercadona, is clear that in 2050 there will be no kitchens. Is an affirmation who, in addition to being daring, is, of course, interested. Especially taking into account that the Valencian company has managed to dominate the niche of distribution of prepared dishes with an iron fist, where its market share is 51.2%. The path is clear for Mercadona’s future: betting on saying goodbye to cooking at home. Store 9. Mercadona has launched its new logistics project with the name “Tienda 9”, which is the successor to the previous “Tienda 8”. Like Roig himself claimed“We have not been very original (with the name).” With an investment of 3.7 billion euros, the chain will transform its 1,600 centers in Spain and Portugal and will do so with a new criterion. After optimizing space and energy efficiency with the previous modelthe goal now is to completely redesign the user experience and internal workflow. Sort by temperature. The great revolution is not aesthetic, but structural. Mercadona abandons the “business” organization (greengrocer, butcher, etc.) to move to process management. In practice, this means that the supermarket will be sorted according to the storage temperature of the products. Thus, frozen vegetables will no longer be next to fresh fruits, but with the rest of the sub-zero products to optimize the cold chain and the speed of purchase. Goodbye, Mr. fruit seller. “Store 9” also marks the end of traditional counters. Here Mercadona is committed to total self-service: meats and fish They will be presented exclusively on trays. Handling, cutting and packaging are moved to central or internal workshopswhich will free up the space facing the public to convert it into more agile linear free-service areas. If you want to talk to the fruit seller or the butcher, forget it. Here everything is designed for minimal human interaction and of course, to optimize (further) margins. More efficient, no doubt, but also dangerously lonely. Six strategic areas. In this new design of each store there will be six different areas. The core will be refrigerated, frozen and trays, which will be next to each other to facilitate logistics. To this will be added areas of products at room temperature, a fruit and vegetable section that will gain square meters and of course, the big star: the prepared food area, which will no longer look like that, but something else. dark kitchenbut in pretty. The success of prepared dishes is so overwhelming at Mercadona that strengthening this section is a key component of this new “Store 9” logistics project. The supermarket looks less and less like a supermarket and more and more like a restaurant in which there are no tables, only take-out food. He controversial concept of ghost kitchens (dark kitchen) that experienced overwhelming success and an equally devastating fall is now recovering but in an “official” way and with the support of the chain that is converting it into an everyday occurrence. It is already known: Now we buy time, not food. Ready to eat. This strategy responds to a clear trend: people are excited about ready-to-eat meals. This section already has a turnover of more than 1,000 million euros and is growing at a rate of 20% annually. Mercadona wants to promote this section, so not only will expand the product rangebut will install more tables and chairs in the establishments. The “super” will come dangerously close to the traditional restaurant, thus competing with a sector that was already competitive. The revolution made a supermarket. The evolution of prepared meals at Mercadona is worthy of studying in MBAs. The chain conceived its table and chair areas as a service aimed at passing customers or workers from nearby offices. However, the aggressive pricing policy—bars and restaurants cannot compete—has transformed these corners into improvised soup kitchens and neighborhood meeting points. Depending on the location, there is a certain friction: what for some is a vital savings solution, for the customer looking for quick and aseptic purchases acts as a deterrent: the supermarket is no longer as efficient for them. More efficiency than ever. This transformation will also bring improvements in energy efficiency. According to Mercadona’s estimates, this strategy will allow an additional saving of 10% in energy and 40% in water compared to the previous model, which in fact It was already an example of efficiency. Each store will have a technical update of its machine room, although at the moment it does not seem that they are going to offer self-checkouts: Roig’s model continues to prioritize the passage through an attended checkout, maintaining – there – the human factor at the last point of contact of an increasingly automated store. Image | Flikr (Informative Board), Wikimedia Commons (Carlos) In Xataka | Mercadona and the rest of the supermarkets have realized something worrying: they spend a million dollars on printing paper

Mercadona has become the great supermarket in Spain. Now it is becoming your big restaurant

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On Saturday, at the gym door, I heard a group of friends talking about going out to eat. The debate ended when one of them proposed going to Mercadona and buying some hamburgers in the section ‘Ready to Eat’. From then on the talk went from focusing on ‘where to buy’ to ‘where to eat’: in the supermarket itself, on the beach (advantages of living in Galicia) or in a house. It could be a simple anecdote, if it weren’t for the fact that that conversation between colleagues at the exit of a gym hides something else: Mercadona is becoming the great food supplier from Spain. And it is so to such an extent that it no longer only rivals the rest of the retailbut with the bars, whose pulse is doubling. A percentage: 19.7%. A few weeks ago the consulting firm Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar) published a report which helps to understand the enormous weight that Mercadona has achieved, not only in the retail homeland, but in the food sector in general: the Valencian chain accounts for a 19.7% share of value in food and beverage consumption. That means it receives almost 20% of what we spend on food and drink, both inside and outside the home. Company-Collective Value share in food and drink consumption Mercadona 19.7% Bar+Cafeteria+Terraces 11.2% Independent Restaurants 8.6% T. Carrefour 6% Lidl 5.1% Quick Service Restaurant 3.4% G. Eroski 3.1% DAY 2.8% consumption 2.7% Alcampo 2% ALDI 1.4% Full-Service Restaurant 0.9% Why is it important? Because that percentage shows that Mercadona already sells as much or more food than traditional hospitality, at least in terms of value. The Worldpanel by Numerator report shows that bars, cafes and terraces account for a value share in food and beverages of around 11.2% and independent restaurants another 8.6%. Together they add up to 19.8%. That last percentage surpasses Mercadona by only one tenth. The list is completed by Carrefour, which accounts for 6%, Lidl (5.1%), the concept of Quick Service Restaurant (3.4%), G. Eroski (3.1%), DIA (2.8%) and Consum (2.7%). A half surprise. That Mercadona accounts for 19.7% of what we Spaniards spend on food is striking, but in reality it is hardly surprising. The data is explained by two trends that seem to move in opposite directions. The first is that we eat more and more at home. According to The Economistspending on food outside the home fell 2.2% last year. Domestic consumption increased, however, by half a point, 0.6%. Mercadona has been able to anticipate this scenario and has been betting heavily on its ‘Ready to Eat’ section since 2018, a section in which it offers already prepared dishes, from starters to sandwiches, stews, paella, lentils, meatballs, pasta… In December the chain had implemented the service in more than 1,110 stores. Nothing surprising if you take into account that Juan Roig, the owner of the company, assures that kitchens will eventually disappear from homes. Expanding your footprint. Mercadona is not only gaining strength as a competitor to the traditional hospitality industry (a sector that faces its own internal challenges, such as the menu of the day crisis), it also does so within the sector of retail. The Valencian chain has been leading it for some time, but that has not prevented it from continuing to expand its domain. The Worldpanel report also reflects that in 2025 the company consolidated its position in food distribution, increasing its share in 0.6 percentage points until they monopolize 27% of the entire ‘pie’. Go for the baskets. Carrefour is followed in the ranking, with a share of 9%, although the French firm experienced a decline of 0.7 percentage points, Lidl (6.9%), Grupo Eroski (4.3%), Dia (3.8%), Consum (3.6%), Alcampo (2.8%) and Aldi (2%). One of the keys that has allowed Mercadona to reinforce its leadership is the increase in the so-called “large baskets”, that is, purchases of the week or month, which concentrate household spending on its shelves. In 2025, Roig’s company reached a 42% share in this type of operations, 0.9% more than in 2024. Another of its advantages is the white label push in the sector of retail and the growing weight of “short assortment chains”, those with a limited supply and very focused on prices. Images | Wikipedia and K8 (Unsplash) In Xataka | We knew that Mercadona was making gold from its suppliers. Now we know the million-dollar toll that this entails.

Years ago Alicante opted for an artificial island with a luxurious restaurant and taxi boat. It hasn’t turned out as I expected

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The idea was good. AND on paper It was fable. Set up a restaurant an artificial island in the heart of the port of Alicante, a benchmark in the Valencian hospitality industry where people could eat paella or have a drink with views of the Mediterranean (directly on it, rather), surrounded by sailboats. So that clients could reach the island, it was even thought to build a taxi boat. The idea sounded so good, in fact, that the Port of Alicante decided to invest heavily in it, dedicating millions of euros to it. Now instead of an idyllic island to drink mojitos and coffees in the middle of the mouth what it has is a huge mess. An artificial island? That’s how it is. To understand it you have to go back a few years, to beginning of 2022when the Alicante Port Authority awarded Vías y Construcciones (subsidiary of the ACS Group) one of its most ambitious projects, at least as far as the interrelation between the docks and the city is concerned. What the Port entrusted to the company was the construction of a large platform at the mouth of its inner dock, a sort of artificial island of 669 m2 (34.8 x 20m) that would be supported with the help of three large 14 m concrete piles anchored to the seabed. The contest was launched with a budget of 2.7 million (taxes apart) and aroused the interest of several companies. The AC Group firm ended up imposing itself on the rest with a project of 2.1 million. And what did they want it for? The platform was just a means, not an end in itself. Its objective was to support a future restaurant located in a privileged enclave, a place that would offer food and drinks not with views of the sea (many bars in Alicante already have that) but directly over the sea. If the island measured 669 m2, the idea was that the building dedicated to hospitality uses would occupy 393 m2 on the ground floor and rise two levels (ground and first floor). The remaining 260 m2 would be dedicated to public access, with a three-meter wide promenade. So that people could reach that privileged enclave, it was also planned a taxi boat. The idea was once again ambitious: a purpose-built, sustainable boat managed directly by the restaurant. Did it stay in theory? No. The Port of Alicante took important steps to make the project a reality. The main one was the awarding of the works for the island platform, which ended up being erected, as can be verified today on the docks. The problem is that what should have been a simple work in theory ended up becoming complicated in a bad way, as recently recognized the Port itself. In 2023 one of the support pillars partially sank, requiring reinforcement work to be carried out on the seabed. From there the project entered a loop that now threatens to condemn it. In fact, the Port insists that it “has never received” the work, which is why it has not considered it good. “Once the work was completed, the contractor company refused to carry out a load test that would allow its stability to be evaluated, as provided for in the contract, and as an essential procedure for the port to sign the acceptance of the work,” remember from the organism. What’s more, he claims to have a report of CEDEX (an entity linked to the Ministry of Transportation) that “strongly advises against” carrying out the tests due to “the high risk of collapse of the structure.” And now what? After years of the open platform crisis and after the latest CEDEX report, the Port has decided to make a radical decision. Its last Board of Directors has given the green light to activate the procedures to “resolve” the construction contract for the island. That is, the organism wants break the agreementsomething that has been communicated to those responsible for Roads and Construction. Now the company has ten days to present allegations. Once that period has passed, “and after years of technical and negative incidents”, the proposal will return to the Board of Directors, something that will probably happen before 2026. “In recent years the Port has commissioned audits and expert reports that confirm the irreversible deterioration of the structure and the impossibility of meeting safety standards to locate the restaurant proposed in the original project,” the organization argueswhich in its 2024 accounts already contemplated “impairment losses” of 2.7 million euros, which it has invested in the platform. Is there anything else? Yes. The Port does not only propose to terminate the contract. He also wants the original seabed to be “restored” to “recover the navigable conditions” that existed before the platform works. If the contract finally ends up being broken, it is not unreasonable to think that the conflict will reach court, but the Port Authority assures that it has already touched all possible sticks, so it sees “all avenues to remedy the situation exhausted.” Are there more affected? The Port of Alicante not only awarded the works on the platform. In April 2022 it launched another contest which completed the project with its second fundamental piece: the building that was to rise above the artificial island to act as a restaurant. The one selected for its construction and management was a business alliance between Alicante Gastronómica SL and Restaura Gestión Forty SL, which from that moment became co-protagonists of the project. In fact, they would not only be in charge of the building, an elliptical, glass-enclosed block with a large interior garden patio, a restaurant with views of Alicante and a terrace for cocktails. Another of its functions would be to assume the “maintenance and governance” of the taxi boat that would connect the island, a ship whose investment, precise Alicante Plazatook over the Port and was commissioned for 460,000 euros (taxes included). In January the organization started to try it. Now … Read more

A United Kingdom restaurant makes history with its first water letter. Free tap water also serves

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If we look for the definition of a sommelier, the RAE It presents us with the following: “Wine expert and liquors who, in large hotels, restaurants, etc., suggests customers the appropriate drink for the occasion.” Do not go to the SAR: Wikipedia It says the same. We understand by sommelier, or Sommelier, an expert in pairing who knows which wine fits better with different dishes. Amazon even has a ‘telesumillers’ servicebut there may soon be a new meaning for Sommelier: Water expert. In 2011 the Water sommelier uniona professional and international association that was born in Germany and that appeared with a single purpose: to promote the professional, training and economic interests of water sommeliers to defend the culture of mineral water. It is not the only one that exists, since there is also the Doemens Academy In Germany or the Fine Water Academy In the United States, as well as some associations in countries such as Italy or China. And, in the same way that there is a wine letter in some restaurants, the objective of these water experts is that there are unique premises for a very specific reason. A select water letter. Wine letter … and waters Doemens is very clear that “Not all waters are the same”And, apart from giving training in German, English and Mandarin, in 2024 they began to form Sumillers in Spanish. Describe The task of the sommelier of water such as “disseminating and providing knowledge about the quality, characteristics, variety of brands and the value of excellent mineral waters.” Although it is a minority, in the international panorama, profiles such as Martin Riese, the first ‘Sommelier’ Certificate of the United States, but also the British Doran Binder begin to flour. Binder, with a very active profile in Instagramwhere he has more than 55,000 followers, he is a sommelier who supplied the water of his brand -crag spring water- to the British restaurant The Popote. It is a French -style restaurant that is in the Micheli GuideNY in which they have a letter with about 140 varieties of wine. At some point a few years ago, and as they expose in CNNBinder approached the owners of the Popote to propose something: a menu of water. At first, they thought “It was a ridiculous idea”but they changed their minds when they attended a water tasting. Of that “ridiculous idea”, the owners went to “the water is not just water.” The tasting was similar to what is done with beer or wine. First, they tested about six varieties, but then made a second tasting with the same waters, but accompanied by food such as Manchego cheese, comte, chocolate, olives or parma ham. That’s when they realized that the taste “changed” and that they appreciated that certain waters married better with certain foods. Convinced, they let Binder devise the menu, becoming the first in the United Kingdom to have a Water letter which offers its product (five pounds per bottle) up to 19 pounds, about 25 euros, for The Palace of Lifego, a gas with gas from Portugal. There are also Spanish, Italian and French waters. Binder with your water letter Ok, very good, but … what are you selling me? According to Binder, the water key is TDS, or dissolved total solitos. In the statements to CNN, “the measure of minerals is what determines the flavor and taste. The destined water has a zero TDS.”It is fantastic for cleaning windows and for the carbut lousy for humans, ”he said. The range it offers in the restaurant goes from the 14 TDS of the mineral water with Lauretana gas to the 3,300 of Vichy Celastins. The Vichy Catalan, which is another product that is usually seen in waters, It has about 2,900 TDS. At the opposite, sea would be between 30,000 and 40,000 TDS. From Spain we have ’22’ that is soft in the mouth, with a delicate profile And it is, as with wine, to extol the taste of everything. If the French water they serve is “quite salty, you have to combine it with something that is saved, like a parma ham, and both are balanced. So, the water no longer knows salty and what remains is a more durable flavor of the ham in the mouth,” says Joseph Rawlins, owner of the Popote. Eye, they also have tap water as courtesy. I imagine that it will be equivalent to Ask for a torrefact in a specialty cafeteria. Apart from this, in a context in which Alcohol consumption is decreasinghaving “gurmet” options of without alcohol is something that makes all the meaning. How to serve the water In the end, it is what is sought when you seek to exalize flavors mixing elements that seem not to stick, such as salt chocolate, for example. If we want to do this at home, there are tricks. Joanna Vallejo It is a wine sommelier that has also specialized in the water and has offered some tips To enjoy at home a better experience when enjoying water and rest of food: Read the label to find the origin. If you drink wine, accompany the glass of a glass of quality with gas, since that acidity point will make the flavors of the wine are enhanced. Use correct water. For example, for spicy or acids, use gas with gas. For softer foods such as salads or fish, waters with less minerals. And for more forceful meat or food, water with a higher mineral profile. Do not put ice in the glass because what you will do will be the same thing that happens with coffee: to await and mix a high profile water with another that is from the tap (no matter how good some are). And the most important thing about this (because, like me, you have raised an eyebrow thinking that now you will have to wear a monocle every time you are hot and drink a glass of water): Joanna herself comments that It … Read more

After decades of success, the restaurant day menu faces its great crisis and a dilemma: reinvent or die

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A few weeks ago the veteran articulist David Sharrock published in The Times A wide report about Madrid gastronomy. So far not surprising. That in Spain we enjoy a good kitchen, with large dishes, chefs, restaurants and ingredients is no surprise. The funny thing is that in his analysis Sharrock does not talk about that. The focus focused on another symbol of homeland cuisine, one that passes through low hours and faces the complex challenge of adapting to the 21st century: THE DAY MENU. Sharrock warns that the lifelong menu is “threatened by modern life.” And he is not the only one who thinks like that. A figure: four million. The menu of the day is an institution in the bars of Spain. And for several reasons. The first, its long tradition, which can be traced at least 60 years agowhen in the time of Fraga Iribarne as Minister of Information the Francoist Government established that a good part of the food stores offered a menu at a fixed price. The goal: to enhance tourism. The second key that demonstrates to what extent the formula of the daily menu has penetrated in Spanish gastronomy is its level of implementation. The Spain hospitality association estimates that some are dispatched every day four million throughout the country, which leads to its general secretary, Emilio Gallego, to claim your acceptance. “The menu of the day remains a spectacular success formula,” he says. A price: € 14. Hospitality in Spain has not only calculated how many menus are served daily in the country’s restaurants. At the end of last year he published A report in which goes beyond and analyzes its prices, profitability and the differences between regions. Your main conclusion? That at least in 2024 the average cost of the menu of the day in Spain was around 14 euros, although there are cities in which this figure is quite higher. In Bilbao, for example, the average was 15.5 and Barcelona in 15.1, although there are those who clarify that it results today “Almost impossible” Find a menu in the center of Barcelona for less than 16 euros. Are all strengths? No. The menu perhaps enjoy a long tradition and is rooted in the hospitality of Spain, but on its horizon they appear clouds. And one of them (and the most important) is found in its price. Although its rates increased by 19.5% between 2016 and 2024 (which in practice translates into 11.7 to 14 euros), hospitality in Spain remember that this accumulated increase remains below the general CPI (23.4%) and is much lower than that of food and beverages or the one that In your day They reached certain key products in kitchens, such as olive oil. Between 2023 and 2024 the menus did rise above the general price index, but despite that rebound, of 80 cents on average, the collective recalls that there are many hoteliers to which it is difficult for their businesses to give benefits. To be more precise, They cite a study which reveals that 42.3% of entrepreneurs claim to have experienced a “loss of profitability” during the last year, especially due to the increase in salary costs, food and supplies. At the end of 2024 almost a third of the restaurants (32.5%) admitted that their menus had not increased that year. “Totally in danger”. The hospitality data of Spain give a track of the first great challenge facing the menus for their survival: profitability. To succeed, a menu of the day must offer a range of attractive dishes and a certain variety, but it must also convince in another crucial aspect: the price. The key is how to fit that list (high quality, variety and low price) and at the same time the business gets more than cover costs. A few months ago a hotelman from Vigo I recognized to The country That, despite the fact that his bar was small and that he takes care of almost everything, so that his offer is “viable” needs to sell at least 40 daily menus at a price of 15 euros. “Below that figure, it will only serve to cover costs.” “It is totally in danger, and fortunately, because it is not a sustainable model for the hotelier,” Point to the same newspaper Paco Cruz, The Food Manager, speaking precisely about the state of health of the menus. In his opinion, the formula is profitable basically in certain businesses, with a good flow of clients and experience. The AI, to the rescue. “The customer of the menu of the day wants first five, five seconds and variety every day. But what do you do with what is left over? If everyone asks for the same, what about the dishes that are not requested? The losses are brutal and that is unsustainable from any point of view: economic, ethical and environmental,” Add Cruz. The challenge is so complex that there are those who have already sought help in AI, as Fusion was checked in Madridwhere chef Eneko Atxa and physicist Eneko Axpe presented a tool designed to design attractive menus … and above all profitable. Objective: efficiency. “Inflation is almost 40%. The diner says they are charging me more, 19.5, but the hotelier has a hard time doing 39.2 more,” recalled During the ATXA presentation before adding to that price increase the increase in rentals and energy. The objective of the delight tool is precisely to look for “an orderly efficiency” in the menu, maximize the benefit and seek maximum efficiency in the number of chefs, customers and purchase. “The menu is an immaterial good in our culture and one of the challenges and problems facing hoteliers and diners,” Axpe points out. Cost of costs (and something else). Although inflation and imbalance between the rise in prices and salaries is one of the great challenges of the menu of the day, it is not the only one. As Sharrock points out in Your chronicle of The Times The format … Read more

A restaurant, but not a “normal”

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In Santa Monica Boulevardthat mitified road of 23 km in California that extends from Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to state route 1, is about to inaugurate a new place. Actually, this would not be news in the if it were not for the man behind the new business and because the place will not be a restaurant to use. Talk later of Elon Musk and of his next conquest. Tesla and the hospitality. I told this week The New York Times. Elon Musk is about to debut in the world of restoration with a project as striking as controversial: a Tesla retrofuturist restaurant about Santa Monica Boulevard, in Los Angeles. With an aesthetic that refers to a flying saucer out of A movie from the 50sthe complex will combine cargo station for electric vehicles, outdoor cinema and a DID Open all night. Musk has described it as a fusion between ‘Grease‘ and ‘The supersonic’, and is part of their vision of transforming the electricity experience of electric in a moment of leisure and cultural immersion. The restaurant, designed by The stantec firmis under construction Since September 2023 And although the opening date has not been announced, the signals (such as the recent Inclusion of a menu In the Tesla app) they indicate that its arrival is imminent. Opportunity or the opposite. Apparently, since 2023 Tesla has been Contacting renowned chefs To lead the kitchen of the establishment, but not everyone has responded with enthusiasm. The Times explained that Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin, prestigious Lucques groupThey rejected the offer claiming incompatibilities with their business vision and the lack of license to sell alcohol. Styne even changed his tesla for an electric BMW as a sign of disenchantment with Musk, whose public figure has generated divisions and tensions in different sectors. Wolfgang Puck Catering He was also contacted, although he did not officially respond, and secretism around the project is such that confidentiality agreements have been demanded to potential collaborators, preventing that They are publicly spoken of the terms of any negotiation. Conceptual image of the restaurant Reactions in the gastronomic world. What doubt fits, despite the reservations of one, other chefs see a one in the project high profile opportunity. Walter Manzke, Del Republique Restaurantexpressed interest, like John Fraserwho has previously reflected on the reinvention of the gas station. These professionals value the potential of the Tesla restaurant to alter the way in which the gastronomic service is integrated into urban and technological life. Max Blockexpert in gastronomic communication, believes that a concept like this, which includes projected films while dinner and service on skates, It aligns with the growing tendency of “eating for experience.” Musk’s “weight”. Thus, polarization around Elon Musk is still an obvious obstacle. Figures like Danny Meyer (From Shake Shack) and Paul Kahan (from One off hospitality) have been skeptical or directly reluctant to associate with Tesla, not for the proposal itself, but for What Musk represents Today in the political and social debate. Several restorers, According to the TimesThey hesitate to make public comments about the project for fear of adverse reactions. In a context where topics such as environment, inclusion or immigration are part of the identity of many restaurants, associating with a such divisive figure It can have a high reputational cost. A dream enhanced by the electric future. It is the last of the legs to understand this new venture of the richest man of the planet. The project emerges at a time when Tesla has beforehand multiple challenges: protests In their concessionaires, White House Promises to treat attacks on brand vehicles as domestic terrorisma 50% drop in the price of their shares and a highly politicized environment. Not everywhere, of course. In cities like Los Angeles, where Tesla has been widely adopted And its presence is almost omnipresent, the restaurant could be consolidated as a logical extension of that brand culture. For some, it is a natural evolution of the Tesla experience. For others, a risky play that mixes leisure, technology, political polarization and personal brand in equal parts. Be that as it may, the restaurant will be much more than a site to eat: it will be a declaration of intentions, framed in a city that is still debated between the fascination with the future and the nostalgia of its own past. Image | Tesla, Nara In Xataka | How much money Elon Musk has: how the fortune of the man who plans the colonization of Mars from a social network is distributed In Xataka | Who are the largest millionaires in Spain: the list of the ten richest people in the country

A Japanese restaurant has brought its obsession with fresh fish to the extreme: it allows you to fish yourself

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Visiting Japan is immersing yourself in a country where the traditional and modern coexist in harmony. Its big cities combine futuristic skyscrapers and streets full of neon lights with millenary temples that have resisted the passage of time. In any walk through its streets, it is inevitable to find restaurants where fish is the absolute protagonist. And it’s no accident: in Japan, Fish has been a pillar of its gastronomy for centuries. Here, the menu is not requested, fishing. If you think you’ve seen everything about freshness, Japan always has more to offer. There are restaurants where chefs personally select the best fish on the market every day, but what if instead of waiting for them to serve you, is you who fish it? In Osaka, about five hours from the center of Tokyo, there is a place where the menu is not chosen, it is captured at the time. Our protagonist bears the name of “ジャンボ釣船つり吉”, which could be translated into Spanish as “Great Tsurikichi fishing ship.” As we can see in Google Maps screen capture, it is far from the bustle of the great avenues of the Asian city, and is immediately distinguished by its facade decorated with a fishing boat and posters with large Japanese characters that tell us what we will find inside. As explained on your websitewhen crossing the restaurant door the first thing will be to check the letter and choose the fish we want. Once decided, the staff will give us the right equipment, be it a fishing cane or a salabre, and will guide us to the fishing area. In that pond, where fish swim outside of their destiny, true experience begins. They assure that it is an apt challenge for all ages. After fishing, it is time to enjoy food in one of the four rooms available. We can choose between Tatami type seats in a ship -shaped area or, if we prefer something more conventional, tables with western -style chairs. Now, suppose we are ready to live this experience. How much will it cost us? It is time to take a look at the letter and calculate the budget. How much does this experience cost? When planning the expense, the first thing we should consider is that the price is based on the entire fish that we catch. Thus, a red kissing costs 3,124 yen (about 19.50 euros), a sole has a price of 2,840 yen (approximately 18 euros) and a listing juris rises to 4,980 yen (around 31 euros). Once the piece fish, we must choose how we want to prepare it to us, which is an additional cost. For example, a frying with Ponzu adds 300 yen (about 1.90 euros) to the final price. In addition, if we want to accompany our dish with seafood, we must take into account that they do not have a fixed price. In this case, the staff will weigh and inform us of the cost before preparing them. Marketing, Tourism and Gastronomy. It is no secret that Japanese gastronomy is rich and diverse, with fish and rice as fundamental pillars for centuries. However, many of the dishes that we consider today representative of Japan, and that have crossed borders, are not the result of a centenary tradition, but of relatively recent adaptations. Without going any further, until the 1990s, no one in Japan ate sushi with raw salmon. It was a marketing campaign that made it a standard, more than an entrenched custom. But tourists continue to come in mass in Japan in search of a unique experience. And there is no doubt that the country has much to offer, especially in the gastronomic field. However, not everything is good news, neither for the premises nor for those who visit it. An ingredient as essential as rice suffered a remarkable crisis: in full tourist boom, The shortage shot prices and led some restaurants to pay anything to stock up. When what matters is the show. Eating typical dishes in Japan has its charm, but restaurants have found ways to go further, especially when the goal is to attract tourists willing to spend on experiences. The possibility of fishing your own food in a place set as a ship is not only a gastronomic option, but a claim designed to turn dinner into a show that seduces both visitors and premises. {“Videid”: “X8D7XNV”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “Tricks to travel cheaper- Drinking tea is something that can be done anywhere in the world, But attending a tea ceremony is another story. In Japan, this ritual has become an attraction for tourists looking for more than a simple infusion. The experience is not limited to drinking tea, but extends for hours, with different varieties and meals included. Something that originally had a deep cultural significance is now also sold as an experience for the visitor wanting to spend. But the show does not end there. If tea is not enough, there are always more options to live Japan in a big way: geisha shows perfectly choreographed for the tourist, high exhibitions where tradition and show intermingle, and the Bunraku puppet theater, a cultural element that continues to find its place in a country where more and more things become attractions for the photo. A HAND FOR MOUNT FUJI. To promote other forms of tourism in Japan could be one of the keys to decongest Mount Fuji, a place that for centuries was a symbol of spirituality and personal improvement, but today dealt with massification and its consequences. What was previously an intimate journey has become a crowded tour of hikers, with tails on the top and an environment that is increasingly feeling the weight of uncontrolled tourism. In Xataka Japan has put a spicy in Spain in a peculiar way: with a "Madrid Osaka" In a town of 93 inhabitants To mitigate the impact, The government has begun to take action: daily visitor limits have been established and an online reservation system has been … Read more

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