Half a croquette and half a glass of wine: the solution to be able to keep eating out

“This summer, on several occasions, I have been asked for half a glass of wine,” explains Camila Espinoza. She is a sommelier and owner of Pepa Bar a Vins, a restaurant that is always packed on Aribau Street in Barcelona. Faced with my look of astonishment, she tells me that it is not an isolated incident. In some cases, it is to save money. They ask for one glass of wine and an empty one, and they share it. In others, it is not an economic saving but a way to be able to taste more wines without needing to drink so much alcohol. She confirms this herself with water orders. Before, she used to order four cases of water a week, and now she orders six. “Regarding water, obviously there is also a key factor, which is the heat we have had this summer. This has combined with the general drop in alcohol consumption and the drop in purchasing power, but also the infernal heat,” she clarifies. “I think it’s fine that people want to take better care of themselves, right? It’s just that everyone has lost purchasing power. We have too.” However, she has decided not to incorporate non-alcoholic wine references in her restaurant, despite the trend. “Instead of serving non-alcoholic wine, we prefer to offer water or a kombucha made in Gelida,” Espinoza concludes.

Heat is an element that several restaurateurs highlight as one of the factors that has caused revenue to drop. Less appetite and terraces that are unusable for many hours of the day. In holiday spots, such as the Balearic Islands, a beverage supplier explains that revenue has also fallen. In fact, the hospitality and nightlife associations in the Balearic Islands estimated the drop in revenue this August at 20%. And they recognize the paradox that more tourists did not mean more cash because they spend less. The reasons? Various, but it is difficult to know the weight of each one. What is certain is that the cash registers are on the decline. “This summer I have invoiced 30% less,” a Catalan restaurateur in a holiday area tells me, who ensures that, with current margins, the season has left him in the red. Tourists are also spending less. The increase in the cost of overnight stays with the same or smaller budgets, tourist apartments with kitchens, prepared meals in supermarkets... Each restaurateur has their own theory. Once again, however, the numbers are clear.

The young and the old

On August 14th, Lluís Bernils Vinyes, chef and owner of El Celler de Matadepera, posted the following tweet: “The new trend. Ordering everything to share. Table of 4. 2 starters, 2 rice dishes. And that’s it. Broke mode on”. The tweet generated various reactions. People who believed that one should be grateful for visits even if you aren't doing well financially. Others pointed out that perhaps these are people who eat less. Another added the factor of weight-loss medications that suppress appetite. Bernils speaks to ARA and states that there hasn't been a change in habits. For him, the main reason is that “life is expensive and people can’t keep up with everything”. “Young people snack on a few things and have some beers. No dessert, no coffee. And older people, and here a change in habits is indeed noticeable, no longer have big dinners”. He tells me that, for the first time, Saturday nights are a slow service. Aside from resources, he also attributes it to people’s individual priorities: “Many young people can spend 150 euros on a concert ticket, but wouldn't do it at a restaurant”.

They, having a loyal clientele since 90% of diners are repeat customers, have not noticed the decline as much because people already know where they are going. And because, furthermore, they are a place for celebrations for many families, and here people do spend a little more. “This Friday evening we have a celebration for eighty people. And on Sunday one for forty”. He explains that he has given them a set price of seventy plus drinks or sixty with drinks included respectively. Now, mind you, all of it done by four people and a fifth on the dishes. “We can adjust because there are few of us. When I think of those brigades from before, I already pity them”, he says. He also watches very closely what he buys. The price of fish, which Bernils calls jewelry, is one of the regular topics on the chef's social media. “Notice that now everyone is serving mackerel and sardine. Even in star-rated restaurants. You won't find wild sea bass anymore”, he asserts.

Chef Frank Beltri stated last week to the ARA following the closing of his restaurant Slow & Low, that “people want to go out for dinner, but they prefer to do it five times with a 24-euro ticket than just once”. The economy, once again. Beltri has seen at his successful Bar Canyí people ordering two beers and a croquette to share. And like many other restaurateurs, he has heard people looking at the menu and commenting on the prices, making calculations to avoid going overboard. That is why he is now thinking of a new, very simple project to adapt to the new trend.