The restoration makes a hole in the Diagonal with the reactivation of the offices

With an eye on September, the central section of Diagonal, between Francesc Macià and Paseo de Gràcia, is seeing its gastronomic offer enriched with new proposals that fit perfectly with the meals sought by office workers, such as those proposed by Aloha Poké, Five Guys or Camarasa Fruits. This is confirmed by Alex Miró, manager of the Diagonal Barcelona association, which represents the shops, restaurants and professional services located on this main artery of the city. Miró indicates that they have already detected the progressive return of companies to in-person work, after months in which the premises missed the floating population that visits them when working in the area.

Teleworking has been a hard blow for Diagonal's restaurants, Miró stresses, where so many empty premises had not been seen since it was reformed and many businesses have kept workers on ERTE until a few months ago. But, little by little, as the situation improves, the arrival of new tenants is becoming known. This very week, a new restaurant of the Madrid-based chain Aloha Poké, specialized in this complete and typical Hawaiian dish, has just opened, and Poke House, as reported by Expansión, is also finalizing its landing on Diagonal. The Aloha Poké is at number 520, where there used to be an Enrique Tomás, a chain that already has another establishment on this street, at the height of Francesc Macià. The co-founder of Aloha Poké, Guillermo Fuente, sees this location as a central area of the city, but not as touristy and with a more residential and office public.

With an area of 150 square meters, the premises have space for about twenty customers, in addition to the terrace. The opening has meant the creation of six jobs. This will be the third Aloha Poké location in Barcelona, after those in Ronda Universitat and Plaza de Artós and awaiting two more, which will be in Plaza Ildefons Cerdà, bordering L'Hospitalet, and in Sant Andreu. Immersed in an expansion plan, the chain will close the year with 30 locations spread throughout the country.

Despite this incipient fever for poke on Diagonal, establishments like The Fresh Poke, between Roger de Llúria and Bruc, show that the Hawaiian diet has been finding followers among office workers in this area for some time. In fact, its co-founder, Alexandra Varela, points out that they are their main users. This Barcelona chain debuted on Diagonal in September 2017, when there weren't as many establishments available as there are now, Varela remarks. It very soon expanded throughout the Catalan capital, continuing through Travessera de Gràcia, Aragó, and Gran Via. It has also made the leap to other cities, such as Sant Cugat del Vallès.

Poke bowls will not be the only healthy food that office workers on Diagonal will find this new academic year. Camarasa Fruits will open a gastronomic space in November in Plaza Francesc Macià, in the premises where Padeví used to be. The new establishment will be a different concept from the rest of the stores of this traditional Barcelona greengrocer. The central part will be dedicated to the sale of fruit and vegetables and a rotisserie, where take-away food will be served, a completely new service for the company. Likewise, a semicircular bar visible from the outside will be built for showcooking. Food can be eaten at this bar, but the main dining area will be on the terrace that will be set up in front of the premises.

Those who want to eat fast can also go to the new establishment that Five Guys will open on Diagonal, at number 449, where the Mediterranean restaurant El Racó used to be, one of the first businesses that closed its doors with the pandemic. The burgers from this American chain, known for being the favorites of former United States President Barack Obama, can be consumed inside, in the 280 square meter space, or on the outdoor terrace, explains its director for Spain and Portugal, Daniel Agromayor. The new restaurant is expected to open in the coming months with a capacity for 82 customers. Without detailing how many jobs will be created with what will be its fifth restaurant in the city, Agromayor indicates that the company currently has a staff of 200 employees in the Catalan capital, out of a total of 600 throughout Spain.

Five Guys' burgers will replace the Mediterranean cuisine of El Racó, one of the first establishments that closed its doors on this street with the pandemic

Currently, the American chain, which owns its restaurants and does not operate through franchises, is also expanding with new locations in the rest of Spain. A week ago, it opened its first location in Malaga, the fourth it has inaugurated this year and the twentieth the chain has in the country. The company's plans involve reactivating the growth rate it had before the outbreak of the pandemic, with between six and eight new establishments per year.

Interior design stores are strengthening

Office workers on Diagonal who return to in-person work will not only find new gastronomic proposals but will also see how the commercial hub of interior design and decoration stores is strengthening. It was a trend that was on the rise and is now consolidating, Miró maintains. After the opening of an Ikea Planning Studio at the beginning of March, came the new location of the mythical Roche Bobois from Muntaner, which is now in Paris with Balmes, very close to Diagonal, and the opening of La Mallorquina is coming soon. All these brands join others such as Dareels Design, Galerías del Tresillo, Kave Home, Maisons du Monde, Habitat or Casa Viva. For the manager of the Diagonal Barcelona association, the key to the success of avenues like Diagonal is based on promoting the mix between retail and restoration, valuing outdoor terraces, an issue he considers one of the pending subjects to address in this artery of the Catalan capital.