Grupo Confiteria Saves 15 Barcelona Bars as Rent Hikes and Overtourism Threaten Bodegas
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Grupo Confiteria Saves 15 Barcelona Bars as Rent Hikes and Overtourism Threaten Bodegas
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Summary
15 traditional Barcelona bars have been preserved by Grupo Confiteria, a local hospitality company that has focused on reviving old bodegas rather than replacing them with tourist-oriented venues.
2014 rent-law changes accelerated the decline of these neighborhood bars, as landlords raised long-regulated rents and many owners sold licenses or retired.
La Confiteria became the group's first rescue in 2014, and Barcelona's City Council designated it an emblematic establishment in 2015, giving the revival effort official backing.
Spain has roughly one bar for every 175 people, and in Barcelona the fight over bodegas has become a wider clash between preserving local social life and the pressures of mass tourism.