Between many closures and new openings, the segment faces major challenges. Faced with an uncertain scenario, owners of bars, restaurants and food services of Bahia are looking for ways to make their businesses viable. The high taxes charged in the sector, coupled with the increase in the costs of inputs and goods, are identified as the biggest villains for those who undertake in the segment.
Currently, more than 52% of companies in the sector operate without profits, with almost 30% of them reporting operating losses. According to ABRASEL, there was a drop from 48% in December to just 34% in January of restaurants that recorded profits. To make matters worse, bar and restaurant owners are unable to pass on the increase in costs to the menu, leaving more than half of the sector with overdue debts due to taxes, suppliers and public services.
Famous and renowned Bahian restaurants have closed their doors in recent months, but some entrepreneurs continue to invest in the sector with new operations being opened. They believe that with quality management, creativity and innovation, it is possible to expand and profit in the Bahian gastronomy sector.
Cocobambu, Martin Pescador, Ki-Muqueca and Winner Sports are examples of restaurants that continue to expand their operations with new units and many differentiators. Cocobambu successfully opened its newest operation at Shopping Paralela. In the case of Winner, for example, a restaurant focused only on luxury residential developments, which already has two operations in Salvador (at Le Parc and Alphaville 2), is now betting on expanding into the hotel sector, bringing the same concept and customer experience for the new American brands of Hangar Business hotels, Wyndham and Best Western, which will now have a wide variety of menus, dishes and drinks in an “instagrammable” concept and with competitive prices to serve not only guests, but also the entire public in the region.
Despite the great challenges that the sector faces, most of the problems are due to the inexperience and lack of management of most operators in the gastronomic sector, often new entrepreneurs who decided to take a risk in the segment. And it seems that many have already realized this and are looking for training and qualifications, increasing the volume of mentoring and related consultancies.
For 2024, despite all the challenges, growth and improvement in rates here in Bahia is expected, given the importance of the sector for tourism, job creation and for the daily lives of Bahians and Salvadorans who do not give up a good happy hour and a lot of “networking”. After all, who has never heard that most good ideas and great businesses come from a bar table?
“Cheers!”
*Operating Partners – Winner Sports & Gourmet
Tags: challenges gastronomy Bahia
