The kings of hospitality with the Midas touch on the Costa del Sol

No one understands Malaga's diners like these four men do. Juan Manuel Burón, Israel Vieyte, Francisco Lara, José María Sánchez and Sherry Singh lead five of the province's most prominent hospitality brands. Together, they run 25 restaurants, including Casa Lola, Er Pichi de Cái, Pepa Revuelo, Chupytira and Amigos Grill. They are a shining example of the power of local businesses, having captivated the public and outshone outside franchises or ventures. You could say they have the Midas touch in Malaga's hospitality scene.

Despite all the restaurants being completely different concepts, each catering to distinct customer profiles with menus that are nothing alike, they share one common trait: they originated in Malaga and have become success stories in the area. Their popularity is evident every day, as getting a table at any of the venues is no easy task, with queues and waiting lists being the norm. "Sometimes, even we are surprised," they admit.

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To gain insight into their stories and share ideas and future projects, SUR brought together the five entrepreneurs behind each brand: Juan Manuel Burón, partner at Casa Lola ( which has six locations across Malaga and Marbella); Israel Vieyte,owner of Er Pichi de Cái (with four taverns in the city and plans to open five more); José María Sánchez, head of Chupytira (which has four locations with a fifth on the way); Francisco Lara, corporate director of the Pepa Revuelo taverns (five locations); and Sherry Singh, from Amigos Grill (six restaurants).

After the group had their photo taken in Plaza de la Marina, the five gathered at Israel's place as he offered his venue in Soho as a neutral ground to discuss their businesses, the current state of the hospitality industry and their vision for the city's tourism model. Over a beer, they openly tackled pressing issues, from the challenges facing the hospitality sector to the tourism boom that the city is experiencing.

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With 25 locations between them (from their main brands alone, as many have multiple ventures), the first question naturally arises: what is it that Malaga's diners really love?

Juan Manuel Burón from Casa Lola answers saying that customers appreciate "quality, good prices and a wide and varied menu." Francisco Lara adds "Customers want a broad selection to choose from; in our case, we offer many dishes influenced by other countries."

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International cuisine forms the foundation of the menu at Amigos. Established in Benalmadena, they fuse Indian and Mexican dishes, attracting both locals and tourists. Sherry Singh emphasises that their primary focus has always been looking after the locals, which he thinks should be the foundation of any project. "But visitors are often amazed by the prices," he adds.

Another of the businesses that also prides itself on its local clientele is Chupytira, a tavern that specialises in seafood that also boasts excellent value for money. José María Sánchez points out that Malaga residents love to "order something to nibble on and share," adding that the key to their success, like any other business , lies in "the obsession with satisfying customers and treating them with care." He believes, "Everything else, like profitability, follows from that."

Speaking of profitability, the restaurant owners acknowledge that customers are now spending less at their venues. "There are still plenty of diners, but spending has decreased. The tendency is to order one less glass of wine, or skip a starter nowadays," Burón remarks.

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Despite the noticeable rise in tourists throughout the year, Israel Vieyte from Er Pichi de Cái, a place mostly popular with locals, notes that the increase in tourist apartments has led to more people shopping at supermarkets instead of dining out. "Whereas tourists once enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner at restaurants, many are now skipping one or two meals," he explains.

Are spending habits different in the city centre compared to the suburbs? Vieyte thinks that there is "more money" in the centre but he highlights areas of significant growth and expansion within the city such as Teatinos and Soho. "In our case, we can proudly say that we have customers who seek us out, regardless of where we are," he states.

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José María Sánchez also discusses the Teatinos district, where he is in the process of opening a new tavern near the Ciudad de la Justicia. "Teatinos is in such high demand that on the weekends, there can be as many as a hundred people left without service," he explains.

The conversation then shifts to the current state of Malaga and its hospitality industry, which has become a significant attraction for businesses and visitors in recent years. "This is the best time for hospitality; there has been a boom and now everyone wants to come to Malaga and start a business," Búron says. "Malaga is experiencing a peak moment, more and more companies are looking to move here and an increasing number of people want to live here," Sánchez adds.

The tourism model was another topic of discussion and everyone expressed strong, similar views on the matter. "If we damage tourism , we risk losing everything here," Burón states. "Now that we have attracted a substantial number of visitors we need to ensure we manage it well to become more selective," Francisco Lara added. It's worth considering their insights as they do have a proven track record of success.