What is the current situation of hospitality in Donostia-San Sebastián?

There is something worse than a hospitality that for so many years has been linked to tourism. Even when the establishments were opened, they had a hard time, because there were no tourists. The Old Party became a kind of desert, as people did not enter the neighborhood; among the Donostiarras a kind of fear has been created to pass through the Boulevard and people have preferred to stay in open spaces.

In addition, another phenomenon of the Old Party must be taken into account: the largest investor group. In fact, some thirty bars in the Old Party are in the hands of such groups. Most of these groups are working towards tourism and, of course, they are going through very badly. However, there are also bars that do not work specifically for tourists, but that wager on high quality pintxos, so they have been appearing in the tourist guides and have ended up filling themselves with tourists. This has led to the distancing of local customers, who are now in very poor condition, as evidenced by the closure of A Fuego Negro. The Donostiarras have left these bars and have preferred to stay in the bars of the neighborhood, as there are currently quality bars in all the neighborhoods of the city.

Have the usual bars dealt with the situation better?

I believe that the bars that have maintained their traditional character, which also exist in the Old Party, will better cope with the situation. In this regard, I would like to highlight Casa Urola: she has been able to open her doors to tourism, but she has never forgotten her bar character.

Many of the bars are always small, and that has many limitations of capacity. What is their reality?

They also have problems, but for the reason of space: their capacity is very limited, people can't eat pintxos on the bar, they can't stand and, in many cases, they can't install the terrace. That will also be a big problem in the future. In fact, when you open the bars, they will resume with capacity and last a long time. Therefore, if they do not raise a special subsidy for small bars, they are doomed to close their doors.

Do you expect many bars to close in San Sebastian?

It is estimated that 30% of bars will be closed in the Basque Country. In fact, the aid that comes from the Basque Government is very small, as the banks now leave no money; the expenses generated by a closed bar for a month cannot be met. Half of the bars in the Old Party may close the door. With the problem of capacity, the fact of having a terrace will be fundamental from now on, and in the Old Part of Donostiarra the installation of terraces has never been authorized.

You mentioned that the subsidies of the Basque Government are scarce.

Very deficient. At the moment, the maximum aid that a bar can obtain amounts to EUR 4,000, and it has been set at EUR 4,000 per month and is over. I recently spoke to a tabernacle in Egia, which told me that having a closed bar costs him more than EUR 5,000 a month.

Beyond the Old Party, how will the pandemic affect the neighborhood bars?

For the bars of the neighborhoods, the future may not be as difficult as for the Old Party. In fact, the rentals are much lower and many hotel owners have managed to get hold of the premises. In addition, there are many more terraces, the bars are more familiar and it is easier to negotiate the price with the owners of the premises. So neighborhoods may not reach that 30 percent. In addition, people are increasingly looking to stay close to home.

Many bars and restaurants survive cooking food to bring home. Will it be profitable in the long term?

In the long term, I find it difficult to make progress in this way. Some are doing well, depending on the location of the venue and the wager they have made on their offer, but looking long term, it is difficult to survive with the food to take it home.

However, I spoke recently to the owner of the bar La Spoon de San Telmo, who told me that preparing the take-home food in the United States. The United States, where it lives, has been widespread since before the advent of the pandemic. Therefore, the hotel owners should know that this is going to be part of the future, because the pandemic will bring many changes for the coming years.

And those who don't have cooking?

Everyone will have to adapt to their possibilities and those who do not have a kitchen may have to reform. In short, today's bars aren't like 20 years ago, and the bars of the future won't be like today's bars.

Will night bars have to put the kitchen in?

Surely they will have to adapt. Even before the pandemic, I saw that the situation in nightclubs was becoming more and more difficult, as more and more obstacles are being placed in the way of nightlife. Look, in the 19th century people spent their time in the quarries that were under the houses, but in the new spaces of San Sebastian other bars and restaurants opened and tourists began to come. Therefore, the authorities decided to close these shops, and the citizens opened the gastronomic societies in the Basque Country. Before the pandemic, I told my students that a similar phenomenon is taking place: they are limiting nighttime leisure, great franchises are coming from the hospitality world and small bars are getting harder and harder to advance. The pandemic has intensified this phenomenon.

What do you think of the mobilizations of the hotel owners?

I have participated, but I do not believe that mobilisations will have much effect. Unfortunately, I do not have much hope. In Catalonia, for example, the famous chefs Ferran Adriá and Jordi Roca, who have achieved nothing, have joined the demonstrations. There have been many demonstrations here, but the Basque Government is still in the same position as ever. Following the massive demonstration in November, for example, the Basque Government said that it would allocate EUR 20 million to helping the hospitality industry, but then it has been seen that it is very difficult for them to receive such aid. The Basque Government will not change its attitude, and the only possibility to do so would be for all the hospitality sectors of the CAV to merge.

You said that the Michelin star cooks in Catalonia have joined the ongoing mobilisations. Here, on the other hand, nothing like that has happened, right?

It is curious that restaurants such as Arzak, Akelarre or the like are also having a very bad time. In the previous crisis they survived the fashion of gastronomic tourism, but with the pandemic that tourism has ended, and the local people do not go, because the prices are very high. So very curious things are happening, like the recent inclusion of Arzak in a network of discounts with a menu. Also, Kokotxa restaurant and many others prepare food to bring home. Before, that was unthinkable. It would be good if the cooks in these restaurants were to join the demonstrations, because, after all, they are referents.