Ferran Adrià and CaixaBank present a 700-page guide for restaurants

The Spanish restaurant industry has received a comprehensive guide authored by legendary chef Ferran Adrià and the elBullifoundation. The publication, presented on February 23, 2026, spans nearly 700 pages and was developed with financial support from CaixaBank. The main goal of the initiative is to support entrepreneurs in one of the most competitive and risky sectors of the economy. The guide is a practical tool designed to help avoid common mistakes made when opening and running an establishment. During the presentation, Adrià shared his experiences, emphasizing the importance of thorough analysis before making an investment decision. „En media hora soy capaz de saber si un restaurante será rentable.” (In half an hour I can tell if a restaurant will be profitable.) — Ferran Adrià This skill stems from his many years of experience managing the famous elBulli restaurant, which for years held three Michelin stars and was considered one of the best in the world. The aforementioned guide is an attempt to pass this knowledge on to a wider audience. The initiative is part of the "Gastro talent" program, run by elBullifoundation and funded by CaixaBank, which aims to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the HoReCa sector. The urgency of support measures for the industry is underscored by alarming data cited during the presentation. Information presented by CaixaBank indicates that as many as six out of ten Spanish restaurants close their doors within the first five years of operation. This high failure rate illustrates the scale of challenges facing new entrepreneurs. Adrià's guide is intended as an antidote to this situation, offering proven operational models, case studies, and recommendations on management, finances, culinary creativity, and customer relations. The initiative has garnered media interest, which sees it as an important expert voice in the debate about the future of gastronomy after the period of pandemic shocks. Ferran Adrià, born in 1962, revolutionized world gastronomy as the head chef and co-owner of the elBulli restaurant in Roses, which closed in 2011. This establishment, operating since 1961, under his leadership (since 1987) became an icon of molecular gastronomy and for many years maintained the highest, three-star rating from the Michelin guide. After closing elBulli as a restaurant, Adrià focused on the activities of the elBullifoundation, whose mission is to research and document creative processes in gastronomy and educate future generations of chefs.