The CAEB Restaurants Association is calling for a moratorium on new restaurants in Mallorca and the Balearics.
On Monday next week, the president of the association, Alfonso Robledo, will meet the tourism minister, Jaume Bauzá, to discuss this, the aim being to improve the quality of existing restaurants and guarantee their financial viability.
Robledo believes that there needs to be control in order to prevent excessive supply. To this end, he is seeking a control mechanism under tourism legislation, having in mind a similar arrangement to that for tourist accommodation. A new restaurant could open, but only if its places (the number of tables and chairs) are purchased from existing stock.
He recognises that powers for bar and restaurant licences lie with town halls, which is the reason for looking to tourism legislation to establish a moratorium and so prevent the granting of further licences.
At present, there are around 9,000 bars and restaurants in the Balearics. During the pandemic, approximately 35% closed, but this loss has since been recovered.
Robledo notes that, as it is, there is increased restaurant quality, reflected by prices and an emphasis on local products.