Opening a restaurant business?

[Nour_Hakim]

Which area in Barcelona is the best to start a restaurant business?
Considering moving to barcelona, will it be hard if we are only English speakers?
How about rents? Monthly rent of a shop /restaurant average of 120 sqm?
What restaurant/food style is mostly admired by locals and tourists?

[Judit_Navarro]

Hi!
From my point of view, the "Barri gòtic" area seems one of the best places to open a new restaurant. It is just next to the city centre, so you'd always find people around.
The "Barri gòtic" is one of the oldest areas in the city, yet it seems the most alive.
Nowadays, nearly everyone knows English, but I don't think it happens the same here in Barcelona. Many locals know English, but that doesn't take away the fact others may not be that lucky. So I think at first you'd feel a little lost being only English speakers, but once you've been in Barcelona for a while, the language will stick to yourself immediately.
I'm not very familiar with the rents topic, but I can guarantee you that Barcelona's rents are not the cheapest.
About the food, tourists and a large group of locals usually enjoy typical Spanish or Catalan food, whereas others prefer something more innovative and not so typical.

I hope I've helped you!

[derrybirkett]

Hello,

I live on Juan de Borbo: in the summer, there isn't a place that isn't totally crazy full. For example I know that the owner of Maka Maka did so well, he bought two other places opposite, called Fox and Vicino: all of them are always crazy full, and with the benefit that if one is lacking staff they can cross the road to support the other. There is no way a restaurant doesn't work out on Juan de Borbo.

Otherwise the Born area is totally crazy full also. The Gotic quarter (on the other side of Laietana from the Born area), does hold plenty of tourists in the summer but is quieter than the other to places I mentioned. Also Eixample Dreta has a good crowd in the day for the local working population.

The San Pere area is up-and-coming and in (maybe quite a) few years will be teeming like the Born. Maybe a good opportunity medium-long term.

Rents I am not sure about, check Idealista.com maybe. Clearly, the busier the area the more expensive rents are.

Food that does well? Burgers, Tapas, Coffee and Cake type places, Pizza are the biggest hitters. Easy, quick and higher margins. Lebanese and Kin style restaurants also do well. In Gracia area there are plenty on the Verde street has plenty, all full.

Not speaking Spanish won't be a problem in general, but maybe get a good Spanish accountancy that speaks English or something.

Let me know how it goes, we'll come and visit.
Cheers
Derry

[cjgm]

Hi Nour,

I'll try to give you some tips

• Barcelona is really expensive in terms of rent. More than Berlin i.e. And it depends on the area that you want to open the restaurant.
• Barcelona is crowded of restaurants and bars. You must be really sure that want to open it and offer a good quality or have clear which kind of client do you want. Hipster/Modern people? Born, Gràcia or Gótic. Tourism? Barceloneta, Ramblas, near Sagrada Familia... etc...
• Admired food? I've been living in Barcelona all my life. Here it's difficult to find a place (last 15-20 years) with good relation between quality-price-size of the meal. Since Barcelona became famous. If you go, i.e, to Madrid, south or north of Spain is easier to eat much better. Not here. So if you do things well with an affordable price, you will success. I'm so sorry to say that (i have a looot of friends from a lot of countries here) but in my opinion (and opinion of a lot of people) quality decreased after a lot of foreigners came to live here and (this is our fault as Barcelona citizens) restaurants here offered them worst quality of food than before and foreigners thought that was awesome!
• Don't mind about food most admired, do a good job!!!
• About english. Ok, again a problem. I'm not agree that won't be a problem. This is the kind of behaviors that are not nice at any place and because this, you can feel that here the society (and some newspapers are now focusing on this problem) is now tired about this. I have a lot of friends that they only speak english. I speak it and very proud of it. But would you feel comfortable in you city going to a restaurant where they don't speak your language? I think it's not nice. I've been here in bars where no one spoke spanish... Come one! It's not polite! Don't worry, you can find accountants or whatever you need that they speak english. But, please, don't be such a typical foreigner that come here and because we try to be polite and speak english at the beginning, then they don't mind about learn spanish or know more about the culture People here we appreciate a lot this effort, a lot, really! And can you imagine this in terms profit to your business?

Hope my opinion can help you

Best,
Carlos