Conesa changes hands, but not its spirit: "We're still a neighborhood establishment."

BarcelonaIn a Barcelona increasingly crowded with franchises and impersonal establishments, the iconic sandwich shop Conesa on Plaça Sant Jaume is an exception. Not only because it's one of the few bars in the city center that still retains and nurtures its longtime clientele, but because the retirement of its owners fortunately won't lead to its closure. Conesa is changing hands, but not its spirit. Josep Conesa and Marta Cortadella are folding, but Juan Cano and Christian Domínguez are continuing.

Cano and Domínguez are uncle and nephew, and have been working for years at a Conesa they consider home. "We've been taking care of the machines ourselves for many years, we serve with warmth... We continue to be a neighborhood establishment where everyone is welcome; I think this is what makes us special," explains Cano, who has been behind the bar of this establishment for 34 years. "I've spent much more time here than I have outside of it," he says proudly.

While Cano answers the ARA's questions, he continues serving customers: with one hand he irons sandwiches, and with the other, he hands out cans of drinks. And all with his characteristic joy. Between answers, he starts chatting with a customer with whom he feels a connection that has been forged over the years. He even anticipates the sandwich he'll order. Between jokes, the customer adopts a serious expression to say: "Like here, the sandwiches, instead of Barcelona."

Conesa will turn 75 in 2026. It opened in 1951 as a grocery store, but soon became the city's first frankfurter. Plus, it's located right in the middle of the egg yolk, with the City Hall and the Generalitat (Catalan government) right next to it. It's not hard to imagine that some of the country's top public officials have received sandwiches from Juan Cano. "Some people come more and others less, but I can't say more because one thing they appreciate about this place is the intimacy," he explains.

In fact, one of the anecdotes he remembers with famous people is when Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth entered Conesa during the filming of a movie in Barcelona. "They felt very good here, because precisely the lack of fuss made them feel comfortable," Cano recalls, adding that the key is "making them feel like any other customer."

Resistance to gentrification

"From my point of view, when a traditional business changes to a clone of another, it loses its warmth," says Cano. And how is this "warmth" maintained? "It's achieved by maintaining what we do, with tradition, and over time," he answers. So much time, that Juan Cano believes the establishment and the neighborhood have "shaped" him as a person. Precisely because of all the years he's been doing it, it's hard for him to choose the best memory. But one of the fondest moments that comes to mind is when the Paralympic volunteers at the Barcelona Olympics went to eat at Conesa.

Another of Conesa's small miracles is that despite being in one of the most touristy spots in the city, its line mixes visitors and locals. But everyone has their favorite sandwiches. In Cano's case, if he had to choose one from the extensive menu, he would choose The Catalan. "Although it's not traditional—these would be the Frankfurters or the pork loin, which has been made since the 1950s—it's my favorite," he says. Whenever he's asked for a recommendation, he suggests this one for combining vegetables with sausages and cheese.

Now he'll continue to do so, but as the owner of the establishment. With the same dedication as before, Juan Cano and his nephew Christian will be responsible for maintaining the warmth of this type of Barcelona establishment, which is in danger of extinction.