Cappuccino, the story behind the Majorcan emporium of luxury coffee shops

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From a

(Majorca) with eight tables, to

and a five-star hotel in 29 years.

could be summed up very briefly

, the company created by

when he

and which has become a benchmark.

"We have not realized it because it has been an

. We were just kids, now we are adults. First we opened a small place, then a larger one... We are happy with the reception because when you open a business there is a lot of sacrifice and work ", tells LOC

of the chain and sister of the founder.

The history of this hotel group began in 1993.

Her father had passed away and she decided that he had to support her family.

To her mother and her brothers,

, a lawyer who lives in Bilbao.

Her parents also had a restaurant but the brothers did not inherit the business;

"He worked hard, because everything is achieved by working, nothing comes for free.

, says Penelope.

Then came Cappuccino Paseo Marítimo, Cappuccino San Miguel and Cappuccino Puerto Portals, all in Mallorca, and without external shareholders because it is a

They already have 17 establishments in Spain

-Mallorca, Madrid, Marbella, Valencia, Ibiza and Seville- and one more in Gstaad (Switzerland).

"Juan looks for the perfect location, until he finds a place that makes him fall in love and he knows it will work, he doesn't make a Cappuccino.

The new location in Seville -Cappuccino Grand Café- is the one of the old

an emblematic place.

"That for us is also positive because everyone knows where he was and has good memories of him."

To start it up they have carried out a major reform -the building is classified with protection C and will have apartments on its two upper floors-.

They have preserved their original structure, with the landscape designer Fran Cisneros.

Juan himself has taken care of everything else, including decoration.

"

The dishes and the menu are the same, the waiters are uniformed in the same way... Someone who enters knows that it is a Cappuccino". Their identity makes them stand out from other establishments for their Spanish products, their varied food and because they work from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. It also stands out for its music, selected by Juan himself along with DJ Pepe Link, and for his team of workers. In high season they have about 700 people.

To start, we take home workers to each local who teach the new ones".

El Cappuccino de Sevilla occupies the old space of the Oriza restaurant.AGR

With their employees they form a family.

"Juan always knows how to have a good team. If a waiter comes in and does well, he can go up, so we have a motivated team."

This is the case of

director of the Seville location.

He comes from Cappuccino San Miguel, in Mallorca, but

and for him this move has been "a gift" because he can be closer to his family.

He started in the group as a waiter six years ago, became director of San Miguel and was proposed to direct Seville.

Penelope remembers the time of the pandemic

.

"It has been very hard, as for everyone, but we are seeing that we have left and that the hotel industry is going totally upwards. We have gone from absolutely nothing to being overwhelmed, we should not complain. It has happened, it has already been forgotten to look forward, that that is history. And they have all returned, there is overbooking of all nationalities".

The group also has a 5-star hotel in Palma de Mallorca.

she explains.

Although the rest of their business is directed to "everyone, we grew up with our local people."

After Seville?

"Of course there will be more, in Spain, but right now it's

. Juan is already thinking about the next one."

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