A classic bar in Palma reopens: How the new Marítim will be

PalmaThe historic Marítim bar in Palma, located at the foot of the Jonquet neighborhood, is preparing to reopen after four years of being closed. The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) selected the proposal from Marport Sunbeach this Thursday as the most advantageous offer to operate the establishment, which first opened its doors in 1951 and was a meeting point for generations of Palma residents for decades. The premises will be renamed Barítimo and will become a Mediterranean and Mallorcan cuisine restaurant, with a committed investment of 1,042,000 euros to renovate the building.

The selected proposal corresponds to Marport Sunbeach, a company integrated by Grupo Beewi and Grupomarport, which plans to operate the business for eleven years. The project aims to recover the activity of the old bar, located in the Plaça de Sant Domingo de la Calçada, with a continuous dining service offer that will include traditional dishes such as the 'variat mallorquí'. The establishment will have a capacity for 198 people, distributed among the indoor dining rooms, a private area, the bar, and the terraces.

The renovation will affect a total surface area of 527 square meters, including the building and the terraces. The project, signed by architect José María Riera Erasmo, does not foresee modifying the structure or increasing the built volume, but it does involve transforming the facade. One of the main actions will be to remove the wall that currently limits the views of the sea and replace it with a high-efficiency glass facade, taking advantage of the existing metal structure. This will allow for the recovery of the visual connection between the square and the port, in an environment protected by the Jonquet's declaration as a Cultural Asset of Interest (BIC).

The works will have an estimated execution period of 24 weeks, although the APB has not yet specified when they will begin or when the new restaurant will be able to open.

A business with 75 years of history and various changes of hands

The recovery of the bar coincides with the 75th anniversary of its inauguration. The establishment opened in 1951 at the hands of Francisco Alemany Roca, initially in a location close to the one currently occupied by the Hard Rock Café. Three years later, in 1954, it moved to its most well-known location, at the foot of the Jonquet windmills.

Over the years, the business passed into the hands of Pedro Martínez and Rosa Alemany, who later left its management to their children, Paco and Benito Martínez Alemany. For decades, the Marítim maintained a strong family character and established itself as one of the benchmark establishments on the Passeig Marítim.

The final stage arrived with businessman Jaume Cunill, who took charge of the establishment before its closure in 2022. In those final years, the business operated under the name Nou Marítim. The pandemic, economic difficulties, and the subsequent renovation of the Passeig Marítim marked the end of its activity. The premises were left unused and the concession for its terrace was eventually cancelled.

The situation dragged on while the renovation works on the promenade progressed, which have transformed the mobility and public spaces of Palma's seafront. The future of the bar remained pending a new tender by the Port Authority to find an operator that would take on the rehabilitation and put it back into operation.

Three companies interested in the operation

The APB board of directors agreed last February to call a public tender for the lease of the establishment, with a maximum operating term of twelve years. Three companies submitted proposals for the procedure: Marport Sunbeach, Gran Wok Taste, and Mallorca Yachting Rental.

The latter was excluded because it did not meet the administrative requirements, so the competition was reduced to the other two companies.

In the technical evaluation, Marport obtained 25.8 points for the basic project and 19.22 for the operating report, compared to the 18 and 17.72 points, respectively, of Gran Wok. Marport also presented a higher economic offer, with an annual fee of 100,000 euros for the APB, while its competitor had offered 90,000.

Marport's proposal also stood out for the planned investment and the energy rehabilitation of the property. Finally, the Port Authority's board of directors selected its offer this Thursday as the most advantageous for the property lease of the premises.

A restaurant that aspires to have near-zero energy consumption

One of the central elements of the project is the building's energy transformation. According to the selected proposal, the property will go from an F energy rating to an A, with the goal of becoming a nearly zero-energy building and achieving zero emissions.

To achieve this, the kitchen will be completely electric, thus eliminating the use of gas, while the air conditioning and hot water production will operate with aerothermal energy and heat recovery. The project also includes the installation of a walkable photovoltaic floor on the roof, intended to generate electricity for the establishment's self-consumption.

The proposal plans to eliminate single-use plastics from the first day, guarantee accessibility to the ground floor from the square, and promote the hiring of local workers and the labor inclusion of people with disabilities.

With this action, the APB wants to recover the activity of one of the port's historic establishments and strengthen the connection between the seafront and the city. Seventy-five years after its first opening, the old Marítim faces a new stage, with another name, a new operator, and a renovation that aims to adapt it to the remodeled promenade.