Bar & restaurant interiors are now open in Mallorca

From today all bars and restaurants can serve customers inside, but with capacity restricted to 30 percent, a closing time of 17:00 and little or no tourists on the Island, the vast majority of restaurants and bars in coastal areas are unlikely to open, according to PIMEM Restoration President Eugenia Cusí and CAEB Restoration President, Alfonso Robledo.

Even with such an early closing time, some owners will open just to see if it’s worth their time and money.

"Under these conditions it’s not worth taking workers out of ERTE,” says Cusi, who insists that 30% capacity is not profitable, especially for bars and restaurants that don’t have a terrace.

Cusí stresses that he understands the Government's prudence in proposing a slow de-escalation of the coronavirus restrictions, but says it’s shocking that the current epidemiological data is similar to last July and yet the restrictions are much tighter.

Robledo also understands the Government’s prudence to prevent a fourth wave that would ruin the tourist season, but admits that the part of the Sector that depends on evening service will still not be able to open.

For that reason he's demanding that either the opening hours be extended or aid be made available to compensate those who won’t be able to open.

Losses

Helmut Clemens, who owns es Rebost and is Vice President of PIMEM-Restoration claims the Sector’s losses range from 5,000-20,000 euros per month depending on the business.

"It is very difficult to hold on and we estimate that 20 percent of the establishments will not reopen," he said.

He also pointed out that PIMEM has been saying the same thing for a year: that it understood the Government's prudence in proposing a relaxation of the restrictions, but that there has to be financial support so that the Sector doesn’t sink.

"Direct aid has been non-existent or minimal and that’s led to the ruin of many employers and the dismissal of thousands of workers," said Clemens.

A study by PIMEM-Restauración found that 15% of bars and restaurants that have terraces have not reopened, even though they’ve been allowed to do so since last March 2, because the opening conditions are not profitable. The study also states that of the establishments that were able to open: 41% said they’d not made significant sales; 35% said they'd had average sales and 24% said business was good.