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# 44% of Barcelona’s Bars and Restaurants Owned by Foreigners
- URL: https://barna.news/44-of-barcelonas-bars-and-restaurants-owned-by-foreigners/
- Published: 2026-08-07T12:23:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-10T10:34:33.000Z
- Author: Barbara Town
- Tags: food-drink, Business

Foreign nationals now own 44% of bars and restaurants in Barcelona, marking a significant shift in the city’s hospitality landscape. Spanish-owned establishments have declined by seven percentage points over the past year to 56.2%, according to the 2025 Municipal Survey on the Restaurant Sector.

For the first time, nearly half (49.2%) of all hospitality employees in the city are from non-EU countries, while only 42.6% are Spanish nationals. This reflects a growing reliance on international labour, particularly in roles within dining and service areas. In 2017, non-EU workers made up just one-third of the sector’s workforce.

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## Chinese, Italian and Pakistani Owners Lead Foreign Investment

Among foreign owners, Chinese nationals are the largest group, representing 18.6% of all bar and restaurant proprietors, followed by Italians (4.6%), Pakistanis (2%), Argentinians (1.5%) and Indians (1.4%). Overall, 35.2% of foreign owners come from outside the EU, compared to 8.5% from EU countries.

Property transfers managed by hospitality real estate firm Inmo Olaya in 2025 reflect this trend: just over one-third were to Spanish citizens, while 12.41% were to Chinese buyers, 11.62% to Pakistanis and 9.66% to Italians. Many of these new owners do not necessarily run cuisine from their home countries, often continuing with existing local concepts.

## High Turnover, Younger Businesses

The average age of hospitality businesses in Barcelona has dropped to 11.4 years, with 77.1% opening between 2010 and 2024\. Nearly 39% have launched in the past four years. Only 9.8% of current establishments opened before 2000, a decline of 3.5 percentage points from the previous survey, indicating a loss of long-standing venues.

Bars show the highest foreign ownership rate at 45.7%, compared to 42.4% for restaurants. Bar-restaurants are the most common type of venue, nearly double the number of standalone restaurants.

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## Workforce Profile and Operating Conditions

The average staff size per establishment is 5.9, though businesses with fewer than 10 employees have an average of 3.8 workers. Most staff are full-time (75%), and 60% are male. The largest age group is 25 to 34 years (30.3%), followed by 35 to 44 years.

Almost half of employees have secondary education, while nearly 30% have only compulsory basic schooling. Most workers are salaried (57.8%), with 23.2% being owners and 19% managers or supervisors.

> “The lack of agility in administrative procedures is holding back a key economic sector for the city,” says Roger Pallarols, director of the Barcelona Restaurant Guild.

Despite challenges, 54.3% of owners report being fairly or very satisfied with their business performance. However, only 30.3% say turnover has increased, while 40% report a decline.

### Challenges Cited by Operators

- Problems in the local area (21.8%)
- Internal business issues (9.7%)
- Rising costs (9.3%)
- Increased competition (8%)
- Lack of customers, economic and political climate, and taxes (tied)

Administrative regulations and slow processing of permits are cited by 4.8% of respondents as a major constraint. The Barcelona Restaurant Guild highlights ongoing complaints about municipal inspections, fines and terrace management, calling for greater support for the sector.

### Operating Hours and Seasonality

68.1% of venues now open every day, a rise of 19.1 percentage points from the previous year. Only 21.6% close on Sundays, down from nearly one-third in 2024\. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest days, while Tuesdays are the quietest.

June and July are the most profitable months, with July peaking at 33.9% of annual revenue. January, February and August are the weakest.

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*Reported by Meritxell M. Pauné, Ricard Gràcia, elperiodico.com, El Periódico (CA).*