The same year that the Olympic Games were held in Seoul, peace was declared between Iran and Iraq and the British band Depeche Mode released its first live album, José María Capitán, a young man of humble origin who was then 19 years old, managed to his first job as an apprentice in a local Pizza Queen chain, a franchise from which he acquired two premises and which was his first immersion in the sector.
Years later, when the concepts of organized restoration began to grow in Spain, Restalia's first brand, 100 Montaditos, saw the light at the turn of the millennium. It was 2000 when José María Capitán decided to convert a small 19 m² premises in Islantilla into a bar that, due to its size, required very simple operations. In this way, he decided to offer a single product: montaditos with freshly made bread, at a single price (100 pesetas of that) and ice cold beer served in glass mugs in an environment reminiscent of traditional Cadiz taverns. Thus was born a revolutionary model, simple, agile, with high-quality ingredients and with a wide variety of flavors, which he called "100 Montaditos". The idea seemed simple, but it only occurred to him.
The success of this new brewery concept, and the volume of people it moved, made José María Capitán think of developing a franchise model to extend it throughout the country. After conquering Andalusia, in 2003 he made the big leap to Madrid with the opening of different spaces in shopping centers and central places in the city. Word of mouth was his only advertising tool.
Later, in 2010, the second brand that would make up the Restalia Group was born: Cervecería La Sureña Jarras y Tapas, with a concept focused on the most traditional dishes of the south and an image of a typical Andalusian tavern. Later, driven by the success of the previous two, the following brands would arrive: TGB -The Good Burger, Panther Organic Coffee and Pepe Taco, with the aim of conquering new restaurant segments. A project that has not stopped growing until it became Restalia Holding in 2021, which includes the Restalia Brands, Restalia Delivery, Restalia Retail and Restalia Franchise Consulting divisions.
Restalia is recognized for its five banners, but, without a doubt, 100 Montaditos is its flagship. It is clear that the bread, with a patented recipe and baked at the moment, cannot be the only secret of the 'Cienmon' phenomenon -a name coined by the younger generations-, but it is also due to everything that the "smart cost" format implies. ”, which goes through betting on adjusted prices but without giving up offering an excellent product, unifying the image and the menus and continuously innovating in formats, concepts and technology. For example, in 2008, in the midst of the global crisis, Capitan once again revolutionized the hospitality market with "Euromanía", a promotion that managed to impact and build consumer loyalty, with many products for one euro.
But innovation not only affects the product offered in the premises, Restalia always seeks to go further, cross borders and be a pioneer in its sector: some of the examples that the group has carried out in recent years have been the tests of “delivery” with drones, new forms of payment with cryptocurrencies, card exchanges or the creation of new brands.
Undertaking is always easier if you do it with the help of the best, and this is one of the great achievements of the 100% Spanish organized catering holding: constant support for entrepreneurship. This support for franchisees involves continuously analyzing the market to develop new forms of support through a service team that guides them throughout the life of the business, from the first contact to the opening of their premises, through the support and training throughout your relationship.
Following this philosophy, since the beginning of the pandemic and taking into account its effects on the Spanish hospitality industry, Restalia has allocated nine million euros in aid to support its franchisees. These measures, such as the price containment of raw materials, the Electricity Plan due to the rise in the electricity bill, or the management of rentals and bonuses in royalties, have continued to be implemented for more than two years.
The expected economic uncertainty has led Restalia to once again extend the price containment measures for raw materials that were announced at the beginning of the year until December 2022. In addition, it has also achieved improvements in the conditions and commissions of its franchisees with the "delivery" platforms so that they can face the return of summer with more facilities.
What began as the idea of an entrepreneur, has ended up becoming a custom rooted in consumer behavior, which is part of the collective imagination throughout the country and has conquered palates even outside our borders.
One of Restalia's leitmotifs is to promote the Spain brand by promoting the gastronomy, culture and lifestyle of our country beyond our borders through its flagship 100 Montaditos. International expansion has led Restalia to have a presence in Europe, the US and Latin America and it continues, to this day, betting on expansion, as evidenced by its latest openings. In Portugal, for example, it has doubled its presence in the last two years and this course will cross the borders of the neighboring country with the two brands that are yet to arrive: Cervecería La Sureña Jarras y Tapas and Panther Organic Coffee.
