Business · Companies · 11 hrs ago
Spanish hospitality group seeks equal rules for supermarkets serving food
Hostelería de España is asking the next government for equal rules for businesses that serve food and drink to customers on their premises.
The group represents 320,000 bars, restaurants, cafés and other establishments in Spain.
It says supermarkets such as Mercadona should face the same tax and health rules as traditional hospitality businesses when they offer food for customers to eat there.
The group included this demand in a 30-measure plan sent to parties ahead of the 29 November elections.
It argues that different rules give established bars and restaurants an unfair disadvantage.
The plan also seeks to keep hospitality’s reduced VAT rate at 10%, rather than raise it to the standard 21% rate, as European authorities have urged Spain to do.
The group warns that a higher rate could reduce demand and put jobs and business activity at risk.
Hostelería de España is asking political parties to apply the same rules to supermarkets that serve food and drink for customers to consume on site as to bars and restaurants.
The group’s proposal is part of a 30-measure document sent to parties ahead of the Nov. 29 elections.
It says differences in tax and regulatory requirements create an unfair competitive imbalance for traditional hospitality businesses.
The group also seeks to keep the reduced 10% VAT rate for the hospitality sector.
Hostelería de España represents 320,000 establishments and says the sector accounts for 6.7% of Spain’s GDP.
- Who
- Hostelería de España, the hospitality trade association, is calling for equal rules. Its president is José Luis Álvarez Almeida.
- What
- It wants supermarkets and other venues serving food and drink for on-site consumption to follow the same rules as bars and restaurants.
- When
- The proposal was sent to political parties ahead of the Nov. 29 elections.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- The association says differing rules create a competitive imbalance and argues that equal treatment is needed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
José Luis Álvarez Almeida criticised Mercadona’s model of turning stores into bars, saying all businesses should face equal rules.
Hostelería de España sent political parties a document with 30 measures, including its call for equal rules for venues serving food and drink.
- Represented establishments
- 320,000
- Measures in proposal
- 30
- Reduced hospitality VAT rate sought
- 10%
- Hospitality share of Spain’s GDP
- 6.7%
- Elections cited
- Nov. 29
What people are saying
Now we have gas stations, shops, hypermarkets or supermarkets that want to be bars. That is unfair competition. What we tell them is that, from an economic and competition point of view, they can set up whatever they want, but we all have to play by equal rules and be equal before the law.
Food and drink consumed in tasting areas open to the public and located in commercial spaces, clubs and associations must comply with the same rules as the same activity in bars and restaurants.
Its removal would shift demand to other destinations and put jobs and activity at risk.