Carles Gaià Sunyer (Manacor, 1974) hasn't climbed, "I've done it again", he says jokingly as he recalls how his entry into the new project was: the Cafè t’Estim, in the new training center that l’Estel de Llevant has opened in the old raffia factory in the Sa Torre neighborhood of Manacor. A little over a year ago he handed over the responsibilities of the Vermut bar (after more than 20 years at the helm) to rest from life behind the bar. A longing that has brought him back to where he likes to be.

The baroque cloister of Sant Vicenç Ferrer is undoubtedly the historical monument of greatest cultural value in the city of Manacor. A religious space, first, and later secularized to become civil, it has witnessed the urban and social transformation of the city since the 17th century. Now, and after 25 years have passed since the last renovation, it will undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation to correct the deficiencies that the passage of time and human intervention have accentuated.

The Balearic Islands have placed eight restaurants among the 100 most popular in Spain in 2025, according to the annual ranking compiled by the reservation platform TheFork, now in its eighth edition. The list, which selects the establishments best rated by users, consolidates the archipelago as one of the regions with the strongest gastronomic presence in Spain.

2024 wasn't a great year for the bar, café, and restaurant association, with the closure of 370 establishments in Mallorca. "But we've never experienced the decline seen this year," remarks Juanmi Ferrer of CAEB Mallorca. "Many factors come into play: the retirement of small businesses that no one wants to continue, rising costs, and lease renewals that force you to rethink the future. All of this shows that margins are ridiculous for most. Otherwise, so many companies wouldn't close," he points out.

Sales at cafes and restaurants on the Canary Islands have fallen by between 20% and 30% in the first six months of the year, according to data from business associations. "This is the worst year in quite some time," confirms Juanmi Ferrer, president of CAEBRestauració, who points out that one of the causes of the situation is the decline in consumption by tourists and residents, who have significantly reduced their visits to bars and restaurants "mainly due to the price."

The main employers' associations in the restaurant and leisure sector announced this Tuesday that they will not join in the hospitality agreementIn a statement, they expressed their "deep disappointment and rejection" of the preliminary agreement signed this Monday between the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM) and the UGT union to renew the Balearic Islands' hospitality industry agreement. This agreement, they denounce, was reached behind closed doors and without the presence or participation of key sectors such as the restaurant and leisure industries, which "generate the majority of employment and contribute significantly to Social Security contributions." "We cannot sign an agreement that we have not been able to discuss or negotiate. We have been excluded from the decisive meeting, which constitutes a serious violation of the principle of good faith in collective bargaining," they stated.