Barcelona City Council has formally reaffirmed its decision to award the management of the city’s beach bars-known locally as chiringuitos-for the 2026-2029 period. The move comes despite fierce criticism from opposition parties regarding record-breaking financial bids and the controversial exclusion of several long-standing operators. This decision on the city’s beach bar concessions has sparked significant debate.

The recent tender process resulted in a historic high. One winning bid exceeded one million euros per season for a single establishment. City officials argue the process prioritised quality over revenue. However, opposition groups have labelled the outcome arbitrary and warn of potential legal consequences.

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Opposition demands answers on beach bar concessions

During a meeting of the Commission of Urban Ecology, Mobility and Housing on Tuesday, the municipal group Junts per Barcelona demanded explanations from Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet. Junts councillor Arnau Vives criticised the process, suggesting it contradicted municipal commitments to avoid a “disguised auction”.

Vives highlighted the plight of operators disqualified after 25 years of service. He argued that the “arbitrariness” of the tender could lead to legal repercussions for the council and cause economic ruin for the rejected businesses.

The controversy over exclusions

A central point of contention was the disqualification of seven companies before their proposals were even fully evaluated. Authorities excluded these operators because the technical plans they submitted for accessible toilets did not meet mandatory dimensions set by the Accessibility Code of Catalonia.

Reports indicate that a third-party provider erroneously supplied non-compliant blueprints to some clients while providing correct ones to others. Despite the error originating from a supplier, María Sonia Frias, manager of Urban Services, stated that the regulations are strict.

“The specifications had to be complied with from the moment of submission to give equal treatment to all participants,” Frias explained, ruling out any possibility of modifying the documents retrospectively.

Council defends ‘value over price’

In defence of the process, Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet insisted that the council had shifted its focus away from purely economic gain. Under the new rules, the financial offer accounted for only 15% of the final valuation. This figure marks a significant drop from 35% in previous tenders.

Bonet noted that four of the successful bidders did not submit the highest financial offer for their respective lots. Instead, the council prioritised “added value” criteria, including:

  • Hiring unemployed persons or those with disabilities.
  • Gender equality training.
  • The use of the Catalan language.
  • Price caps on drinks and the use of locally sourced products.

However, the reduced weight of the financial criteria did not prevent inflation. One operator in the Sant Sebastià area submitted a bid of over one million euros per season. This figure has raised eyebrows across the sector. This also comes at a time when the Catalan government’s recent return to commercial banking highlights the importance of financial strategy.

Impact on workers

The fallout extends to employment. Because beach bars operate under “temporary occupation authorisations” on the coast, they are subject to different regulations than standard city concessions. Consequently, there is no legal requirement for new operators to subrogate (transfer) the staff of previous concessionaires.

This leaves staff from disqualified companies-some of whom have worked on the seafront for decades-facing unemployment. Organisers planned protests for the commission hearing but limited them due to attendance restrictions.

While the ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia) defended the change in the tender model, they admitted it requires “fine-tuning” to prevent economic power from becoming the deciding factor. Meanwhile, the PP demanded maximum transparency. VOX called for strict supervision of the new concessionaires throughout the 2026-2029 period.

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