The traditional dinners that companies hold in the weeks before Christmas are one of the most anticipated moments in the hospitality sector. Some Barcelona restaurants have begun to post the full sign for the following week, but most agree that the reservation books have more blank spaces this year. Because, although the contained rise in prices and the complicated festive calendar have not dampened spirits, the trend of these meetings is changing: more and more meetings are being moved forward to the month of November, eating instead of dining is becoming popular. Fashion and informal plans are beginning to gain ground over more classic dinners.
A dilemma that many restaurants have faced has been to raise the prices of set menus. Among those consulted, those who have juggled to maintain them, with the fear that it could affect reserves, predominate, and those who have ended up passing on the increase in costs to the final price have done so in a very moderate way. “It has been complicated, but we have maintained last year’s prices because we have a loyal audience that we wanted to continue to rely on,” they say from Fàbrica Moritz, where they offer two menus at 42 and 45 euros. Here, the key dates are close to full.
In Alrevés they boast of having had to reject some requests. “After the long weekend and until Christmas, there are going to be very strong weeks, although we have had a quite busy November,” explains Jorge Gay de Montellà, director of the Trapío group. The most requested days are December 14 and 15, and the slight drop in reservations is explained, in part, by the deseasonalization of meetings to which Gay de Montellà points out. “At Contraban this year we have had more company dinners in November than usual,” says Veronica Mansson, events manager at the Wittmore Hotel, where the restaurant is located. “This month we have less, but many clients wait until the last minute to book,” she confides.
They agree with this advance of dates from El Velodromo and highlight that another notable change is that many meetings are moving to meal times. “In the office, most of us preferred to make a plan at noon in order to make the most of the day: you eat, you extend the after-dinner period and you don’t arrive home late,” explains Carla, who works in an insurance company. Those who go at the last minute are forced to book at midday, which also explains the change in trend. Although, according to Hugo Rodríguez, co-founder of the Grosso Napoletano pizzeria chain, “people increasingly like the late and informal, especially after the pandemic.”
In its forty stores they offer a menu for 25 euros that includes starters and desserts to share and a pizza per person, and for an additional ten euros you can add unlimited drinks. Many places in the city have opted for this formula. “Our proposal includes six starters to share, main course and desserts for €29.95, and there is the option of an open bar if you add another ten euros,” the Saona Group explains.
And compared to the classic meetings, informal plans are becoming more popular. At Salsa, a small Mexican food establishment, this year they have hosted several of these celebrations. For 25 euros they offer a pica-pica (nachos, croquettes…) and then a variety of tacos and quesadillas, beer or cocktails, in a more relaxed atmosphere. The same is explained by other establishments such as Insolent, a restaurant in the Gràcia neighborhood that has a rooftop where some businesses have decided to hold their pre-Christmas meetings. “They are looking for a snack standing on the terrace, a little music and an evening,” they say. The most original ones dare to have themed dinners or escape rooms. More relaxed and lively options, and sometimes “more economical for companies,” some restaurateurs point out.
