Madrid is the second most attractive destination in the world

Almudena Maíllo, the Madrid City Councilor for Tourism, has highlighted the power of the food industry in our country, which brings together a total of 29,840 hospitality establishments, of which 10,216 are restaurants based in the Spanish capital. 

During his speech at the latest edition of Restaurant Trends 2025 at IFEMA, Maíllo presented data from the last two studies carried out by Euromonitor 2024, where the aforementioned Spanish capital stands out as the second most attractive urban destination in the world (in 2019, it ranked 47th) and by TimeOut, where Madrid is considered the top gastronomic city in Europe and fifth in the world. 

This conference, organized by the business association, Marcas de Restauración (MDR), has made a difference, promoting excellence in cooking and the agri-food sector as a hallmark and driving force of the Spanish economy. MDR currently brings together 49 companies with more than 170 brands that represent an annual turnover of €8.1 billion and nearly 8,000 establishments throughout Spain.

As such, the restaurant industry is preparing to have a space for intelligent and innovative collaboration, in the creation of value ecosystems that allow for exchange with other sectors of society. In this sense, the sixteenth session of Restaurant Trends 2025 has allowed different experts from the sector to contribute, during this week, ideas and proposals to face the challenges of the current market and reach the conclusion that the restaurant industry, an increasingly strong and competitive sector, is the economic engine in Spain, and also a reflection of the identity and culture of our country.

The outstanding and strong institutional support came from representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; the Ministry of Industry and Tourism; the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the City Council of Las Rozas.

The opening session was led by Borja Hernández de Alba, President of MDR and CEO of Restaurant Brands Europe (Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons), who encouraged those present to “fight together” under the parameters of leadership, job growth and innovation, without forgetting that the sector's obligation should be oriented towards providing a special experience for the consumer.

For her part, the director of corporate impact at McDonald's, who is also institutional vice-president of MDR, Paloma Cabral, emphasized that public-private collaboration creates the synergy essential for the development and strengthening of the sector, which is key to promoting policies that favor innovation, sustainability and growth in the restaurant industry. “Together, we can build stronger and more sustainable companies that reflect the values and identity of our community.”

With the premise of improving the customer experience, Pere Taberner, Vice-President for Europe, Africa and the Middle East of the Welbilt Group, has opted to apply efficient technology in the design of quality dishes, as a recipe for a successful restaurant in the 21st century, without forgetting that the most important thing in an establishment is the people. "There is an obsession with process and quality. Let's help create meaningful jobs, with more value and less suffering”.

Next, the president of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain, Luis Suárez de Lezo, alluding to the professionalization of brands, explained that the chef not only has to make good recipes, but also face the new variables that come into play, without losing the personality and fundamental essence, both characteristics that make a good restaurant effective. “It is an opportunity to create emotions and surprise in order to build customer loyalty to the brand”.

For her part, and alluding to the issue of regulation and its impact on business, the president of ANGED (National Association of Large Distribution Companies), Matilda García-Duarte, warned that there is less and less dialogue between politicians and civil society and that if a reduction in working hours is implemented, the direct impact on the retail sector as a whole will result in an economic cost of 2.9 billion euros. She also pointed out that there is a total of 150,000 unfilled job vacancies in all sectors, 16,000 of which are in the retail sector, according to a report by Caixa Dualiza, “because there are no candidates with the right training”.

Within the panel “Discovering opportunities in the field of catering”, Ruth María Talaya, general manager of GastroRanking, warned of the repercussions of a review in a business, given that it is an assessment or judgment by the customer about the quality of the establishment. The restaurateur receives all the comments in real time, which he has to deal with, one by one, for his reputational good. 

Likewise, Edurne Uranga, VP Foodservice Europe at Circana, has announced that we will have to break the mold to get to know the consumer and that we must understand that, despite the stability in the market, it will be a difficult year.

One of the most striking contributions to the event, Restaurant Trends 2025, was that of Konnectare Values. In her presentation on the neuromarketing revolution, the firm's managing partner, Gemma González, explained that customers should feel a deep connection with the brand and its principles. According to Gemma González, neuromarketing seeks the answer in the depths of the subconscious, which is where the brand is really imprinted. “It takes us 2.5 seconds to make a purchasing decision.”

The customer experience begins with the employee experience, who must show interest in the customer's needs, generate emotional ties and tell stories that highlight the brand's values and philosophy... that evoke the senses. Companies that want to make a difference will have to get to know the customer and understand the world around them.  “The perfect customer will be one who is unhurried, who allows the reward and pleasure center to be activated, and who is truly present when faced with the exquisiteness of a dish.”

Carmen Chamorro, CIP/ACPE director and graduate in International Relations and Global Terrorism from the SEI