Hostelería de España has presented political parties with 30 proposals that it wants the next government to consider during the coming legislature. The document covers taxation, businesses and self-employed workers, gastronomy and food tourism, vocational training, and sustainability. Among its demands is a call for equal competitive conditions across all businesses selling food and drinks, an issue that indirectly targets the growing presence of “mercaurantes” operated by supermarket chains.

The organisation describes itself as the national business association representing more than 300,000 hospitality businesses. According to the figures included in its proposal, the sector employs 1.85 million people and contributes 6.7% of Spain’s GDP. Its other priorities include protecting the reduced 10% VAT rate for hospitality, creating a dedicated Directorate-General and reducing the administrative burden on small businesses and self-employed workers.

In its public statement, the association asks for equivalent fiscal, health, labour and licensing requirements for businesses carrying out the same activity, regardless of their format. The document sent to political parties is more explicit, referring to businesses competing with hospitality companies without equivalent tax obligations or compliance with health regulations. It also mentions prepared meals served in private homes and other forms of activity that the association links to the informal economy.

Hostelería de España argues that food and drinks consumed in spaces open to the public, including commercial premises, clubs and associations, should be subject to the same rules that apply to bars and restaurants. In its view, the current situation creates a competitive imbalance for traditional hospitality businesses.

The organisation has previously criticised the expansion of supermarket-based food services. In May, its president, José Luis Álvarez Almeida, said that petrol stations, shops, hypermarkets and supermarkets were seeking to operate as bars and described that situation as unfair competition unless all businesses were subject to the same legal conditions.

The dispute has also reached Catalonia. In June, Barcelona’s Gremi de Restauració announced an administrative complaint against 30 Mercadona stores. The association argued that some of their customer areas breached Barcelona’s rules on what can be done inside a supermarket. It pointed to spaces equipped with tables, seating, napkins, cutlery, waste-separation bins and microwaves, with some stores offering up to 30 places.

Mercadona said that it complies with the law and described the areas as places for customers to rest rather than restaurants. The controversy reflects the rapid growth of supermarket services where customers can buy prepared food and eat it inside the store. Chains including Alcampo, Carrefour and Mercadona have developed formats combining ready-made meals with seating areas.

These services compete with traditional establishments through a combination of variety, low prices and speed. Customers can select food and eat it on site without waiting for a conventional menu. The growth of the model has also attracted attention because of the money already generated by prepared-food sales.

Mercadona’s “Listo para comer” section generated around 700 million euros in 2025, according to the information cited in the source. The section began operating in 2018. If other prepared products, including chilled and packaged food and creams, are included, the company’s prepared-food turnover in Spain and Portugal rises to 3 billion euros.

Hostelry groups therefore want supermarkets competing in the same market to meet equivalent labour, tax and health requirements. Their 30-point programme places that demand before the parties as they prepare for the 29 November election and the formation of the next government.

Sources: Xataka.