Camarasa Fruits is preparing for a new leap. The reference greengrocer in the upper area of Barcelona will begin this June the works to transform the premises of the historic shoe store Padeví in Plaza Francesc Macià into an emblematic gastronomic space that is expected to open its doors next November. This is the most ambitious project undertaken so far by the Taribó family company, which has experienced strong growth in recent years thanks to the opening of stores in L'illa Diagonal and in El Corte Inglés centers in Plaza Catalunya and Diagonal. After several weeks of liquidation, Padeví definitively closed its doors this Saturday.
The new Camarasa Fruits establishment in Francesc Macià will be a differentiated concept from the rest of the company's stores, as it will adapt to the peculiar architecture of the premises and combine the sale of fruits and vegetables with a restaurant, a delicatessen, and a space for buying prepared food to go. The former shoe store has about 350 square meters distributed over different levels and is characterized by both its majestic display window and its unique decoration, where gold tones and imposing marble columns predominate.
Camarasa will dedicate the central part of the store to the sale of fruit and vegetables and food to go, a new concept for the company. A semicircular bar visible from the outside will also be built for showcooking, meaning that some of the dishes can be seen being cooked, although the main kitchen will be set up on an underground floor. At this bar, one can also eat on the premises, but the main dining area will be the terrace that will be set up in the square, in front of the premises. Camarasa is finishing defining the dining concept it will offer, but the idea is to create market cuisine based on seasonal products.
On the lower level of the store, the delicatessen will be located, with a very strong cheese offering. This area will also be dedicated to the sale of all kinds of gourmet products, a key business line in Camarasa stores. Finally, the premises have a mezzanine where the winery will be located, that is, a space specialized in the sale of wines.
Camarasa Fruits does not disclose the investment it plans to make in this flagship, but highlights that it is a very important project for the company and that it will entail the creation of between 30 and 35 new jobs. The opening hours are expected to be very extensive, from early morning until the closing of the terrace-restaurant at night, and it will only be closed on Sunday afternoons.
Marc Taribó, general director and member of the third generation of the owning family, had been looking for an emblematic space in the center of Barcelona for some time to implement this multi-concept business. Now the opportunity has arisen, and he has decided to take advantage of it, convinced that it is a premises located in a prime area, with great visibility, and in a neighborhood totally aligned with the profile of the public the company targets.
Camarasa Fruits registered a turnover of 4.9 million euros in 2020, in a year marked by the pandemic, but which the company has been able to withstand very well thanks to increased household consumption and the fact that one of the company's strengths is home delivery service, which has now increased even further. The group, which has a staff of 53 employees, has also committed to developing and promoting its online store, which serves all of Spain.
Quality product, personalized attention, and knowledge of its customers are the foundation of Camarasa Fruits. Its main store on Torras i Pujalt street — next to Mandri — is an undisputed reference for families living in the upper area of Barcelona. Before the pandemic, this establishment received 40% of orders by phone, and 70% were already delivered to homes.
Camarasa also has a store on Amigó street, next to the Galvany Market; a fruit shop-restaurant in L'illa Diagonal; and a store-workshop on Trinquet street, inaugurated in 2018, where it prepares salads, fruit juices, ready meals, and supplies the other stores with all kinds of pre-cut and peeled fruit and vegetables (fourth range), one of the company's main business lines.
The Camarasa group is completed with three establishments located within El Corte Inglés. Thus, the company manages two greengrocers in the Club del Gourmet of Plaza Catalunya and Diagonal; and, in the center of Plaza Catalunya, it inaugurated last year Premium salads, a corner dedicated to the sale of all kinds of quality salads to go.
The origin of the company dates back to 1959, when Ramon Taribó and Maria Camarasa emigrated from a town in Lleida to Barcelona to escape poverty. They began to earn a living selling cooked legumes in a place in Plaza Adriano, but Ramon died very young and his wife was left in charge of the business with three children. Maria Camarasa has been the alma mater of the company, which her son, Jordi Taribó, grew, and which today her grandson, Marc Taribó, drives with new projects. The current growth phase of the company began in 2014 with the opening in L'illa Diagonal and accelerated in 2017 with the agreement with El Corte Inglés and the subsequent inauguration of the workshop on Trinquet street. Now, the group makes a new leap with the emblematic gastronomic space it plans to open in Francesc Macià.