Juanmi Ferrer, president of the CAEB Restaurants Association in Mallorca, says "May is proving to be very bad for Mallorca's restaurants". During the week, reservations have fallen by between 40% and 50% in tourist areas; at weekends they have fallen by 10%.
There have been only two good days so far this month, May 1 and 2, which coincided with the Labour Day long weekend. "The rest of the month has been lamentable, and we don't expect the situation to improve, at least until May 25. We're writing off the month."
Significant damage to businesses is being caused, he adds. This will be very difficult to mitigate unless the summer months and October are very good. "We didn't expect this start to the season; you have to go back many years to find one this bad."
Given the lower than hoped-for expectations, he says restaurants are seeking to contain prices, even though they have very tight margins due to rising costs - food, drink, rents, staff.
As to reasons for the drop in revenue, he points to poor weather this month and lower tourist spending brought about by increases in the price of flights and accommodation. Despite all this, Ferrer is confident that the season will improve, although it will be difficult to match last year's, which was worse than 2023.
This is the latest complaint from the association about the level of business. A few days ago, Ferrer highlighted a fall in first-quarter revenue of up to 20%. That was attributed to lower tourist spending. Last summer, the association started to report falls in turnover from June. This was also 20% and was put down to the lower tourist spending and the 2024 Euros. The Olympics then became another reason.
Meanwhile, the negotiations for the hospitality industry's new collective bargaining agreement continue to stagger on. There is no chance of an agreement by May 22, the original deadline. The restaurants are bound by the terms of the agreement, the employers - led by Mallorca's hoteliers - having totally rejected a union pay demand of 19% over three years.
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Charles Dalrymple-ChumleyAgree with you. Mostly. Some places just have that little bit of attitude and aura (marketing, Insta stuff) that creates a buzz that is not always justified. But yeah, credit to the winners and boo hoo to the losers.
royMillionairs don't spend. That's how they became Millionairs!!!.
royYou're going to wrong places if you can't find a decent meal for two for under €50
Says Morgan Williams from a country that is a culinary desert.
Message to Resturant owners. We will avoid you if we think your food is of poor quality. We will avoid you if you use factory made frozen tapas, microwaved. We will avoid you if you think your clients should sit having dinner with a blanket or a winter coat over our shoulders We will avoid you if during the colder nights you have draughty plastic sides to your restaurant and little or no heating. We will avoid you if you allow smoking. And we will walk out if we are not acknowledged when entering your restaurant or attended to in a proficient and timely manner. Oh I nearly forgot, we will never ever eat those awful factory produced deserts, in plastic bowls you try and sell us using the same desert menu that is popular across the island.
royYou needn't stay in Magaluf. There's always Benidorm or Torremolinos. Just Google "cheapest full English in Spain" for a long list of alternatives.
When a nice meal and a drink , as a couple costs over 100 Euros , it's a Scooby Doo mystery why folks aren't turning up . I thought the island was going to attract the big spendy millionairs , where are they ?
The world changes around them and they wonder why they're losing out.
All the restaurants where I live are as busy as ever. No doubt it's the rip off tourist restaurant owners that are complaining. The hoteliers and restaurant owners never stop complaining, but it's strange as you don't see them driving a 10 year old Ford Fiesta or living in Pere Garau. They need a reality check.
There are eateries with regular queues and others without a single diner. Go figure. It's not the weather. The successful places have the formula right: good quality food, fair pricing, welcoming with great service = value for money. That's the formula for success even if it's raining!