Some beach chiringuitos have had to close because of a lack of supplies

The problems in obtaining supplies during the hauliers’ strike which began on Monday last week have led to the closure of 10 per cent of the Costa del Sol’s 600 ‘chiringuito’ beach restaurants. This is just the tip of the iceberg, warns the president of the Beach Businesses Association, Manuel Villafaina. He says that “if this lasts for three or four more days we are all going to have to close, apart from a very few who have been able to organise supplies from Portugal".

He is calling for an urgent end to the conflict. “We can’t wait until the 29th, as the prime minister wants, so the EU can make a decision about reducing the impact of rising energy costs. We can’t go on that long,” he says. “On top of everything else, the price of basic products is going up. Oil is ridiculously expensive now, and you’re lucky if you can get five of the nine containers you need in a week. Fruit, vegetables, sardines, they all cost more. The businesses are starting to lose money. Next week, we will see a lot more of them closing”.

Javier Frutos, the president of the Mahos bar and restaurant association, says the hauliers’ strike is causing great concern in the sector. “Ten days have gone by and we are affected more by it every day. Only a few restaurants have shut so far, but if this goes on there will be a lot more,” he says. “The government has to put a stop to this, and soon”. He points out that the sector had placed all its hopes on 2022 being the year of recovery after the pandemic, and needs the problem to be sorted quickly.

“We are extremely worried about the government’s attitude, because unlike Italy and France, where they have reduced the price of fuel, we have been told we have to wait for the EU to make a decision. But we are the collateral damage in this conflict,” he says. He also warns that the image given to tourists is important. “We have supply problems and we are trying to adapt our menus to deal with that, but we have very little stock because normally our daily deliveries work perfectly,” he says. “Hotel bookings are going well, and with the war in Ukraine, Spain’s geographical location benefits us. The airlines have increased the number of seats to the Costa del Sol between now and October. There could be plenty of business. We need everything to be back to normal”.