Mourning for the restaurant industry in Barcelona: a new organization is born to defend "neighborhood" establishments.

BarcelonaBarcelona restaurateurs have a new association. This Tuesday, Barcelona Restauració was launched, an organization that already has the support of nearly 700 establishments and whose objective is to "defend and strengthen local restaurant activity in all Barcelona neighborhoods." Although the new organization emphasizes that it wants to avoid confrontation, its birth is being interpreted as a counterweight to the Restaurant Association, which has criticized the new association and especially its president, Salva Vendrell.

Vendrell, who abruptly stepped down as president of the Restaurant Association a year and a half ago due to disagreements with the director, Roger Pallarols, stated this Tuesday that Barcelona Restauració "does not come to compete or overlap with any other organization." "We come to contribute what, historically, restaurateurs have been missing; it's about adding to and growing together," said Vendrell, also a former president of Barcelona Comerç.

In fact, the new association was born under the umbrella of Barcelona Comerç, as the majority of the 700 restaurants that have joined come from the 24 commercial hubs that comprise it. "We're not starting from scratch; we're doing so with twenty years of accumulated experience in local work. We're talking about people. About family projects. About community. About the life that forges character and gives identity to Barcelona's neighborhoods," Vendrell noted, who believes the new platform "is the response to a historical demand from the city's commercial spaces: cafes rooted in the neighborhoods."

In line with this, Vendrell stated that the sector needs a defense with "fine surgery," specifically addressing the problems and demands of restaurateurs in the different neighborhoods. Barcelona Restauració will offer technical support and specialized advice, facilitate ongoing training and professional recognition, and position itself as a distinct voice before the authorities.

The president of Barcelona Comerç, Pròsper Puig, also avoids conflict with the Guild. In statements to ARA, he explains that some of the members of Barcelona Restauració are also part of the Guild, and argues that their actions can be complementary. In this sense, he maintains that they work more with "neighborhood restaurants" than with large groups, and that this means that many of the problems they face can be resolved from the districts.

"It reminds me of Enric Marco"

However, at the same time that Barcelona Restauració was presented to society, the director of the Restoration Guild delegitimized the initiative from an event against the prohibition of smoking on the terracesPallarols asserted that this new association is not a guild "or anything like it" and criticized its dependence on the Barcelona Trade Foundation, which "resides entirely on public resources." Pallarols considered that the organization has made a "wrong move" in creating this new space.

The director of the guild went further and attacked instruments that are "launching platforms for candidates," in a criticism of Vendrell. "He reminds me of Enric Marco, never mind the CNT, the Parents' Association, or concentration camps. All he wanted was to be in the photo," he noted. Pallarols admitted to disagreements with Vendrell when he presided over the Restaurant Guild and accused him of wanting to "manage his personal brand" and not defending the interests of professionals in the sector.