Farewell to Anteo: A Wave of Restaurant Closures Hits Gran Canaria

Farewell, Anteo: The End of a Gastronomic Era in Las Palmas

“See you soon, friends, Anteo is closing its doors.” This is how chef and owner Ale Mederos began his post on the Instagram account @anteobargastronomico. The truth is, seeing the video where you could appreciate the tears he had shed before finishing it and hearing the tone of his voice, I couldn’t help but sit down at my computer to write these lines. Thank you for these six years of authentic gastronomic madness in a project with a marked personality.

I still remember the first time I went to your place and tried those ‘huevos estrellados a lo Anteo’ which still resonate in my senses. There have been several occasions since then, fewer than I would have liked, but I always left that space, so full of soul, happy. Now I don’t know what to say to you, Ale, because just a few days ago, at Terrae, you managed to make José Carlos Capel, who for many is the country’s top food critic, marvel at your crispy ‘ropa vieja’ lasagne and even feature you on his Instagram.

A Perfect Storm for Gran Canaria’s Restaurants

I know it’s been a very tough year for you, which began with the closure of that other project you opened, Dosss, which never quite took off. But the truth is, I didn’t see this closure of Anteo coming. I owe you a visit before it’s final. I know it will be a mix of joy and sadness because it will be a goodbye to Anteo, but I hope and wish it’s a ‘see you soon’ to the cuisine of Ale Mederos. Gran Canaria cannot afford to keep losing chefs like you.

And this leads me to my reflection on the perfect storm shaking the island. We cannot simply rest on the fact that three of our restaurants recently re-entered the Michelin Guide—that’s great—but we must dig deeper into what is happening for establishments with so much promise and such good work to be closing their doors. Cuerno Cabra, Pícaro, Hestia, Borneo, Maraca, De Contrabando, La Tortilla Boba, Dosss, and now, Anteo.

That’s too many (and the list isn’t complete). If we try to fool ourselves into thinking nothing is wrong, we are very mistaken. Something is changing in consumption habits, in the money we allocate for eating out, and in the amounts of tax, bureaucratic hurdles, and difficulties in finding staff that the sector is facing today.

Common Threads and Systemic Challenges

All these establishments shared common points: young people at the helm of the projects, kitchens with roots but also innovative, professionals and self-employed individuals eager to build their own businesses. Yet in less than seven years, in the best cases, all have closed—and this despite enjoying public favour, recognition from specialised critics, and presence in major guides (for example, Bevir, which had a Michelin Star but reopened eight months later in the Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras).

It’s clear to me that this is not a single problem, but many converging to create this situation. Speaking with a sector professional with over 15 years in business, what’s happening with sick leave, what we have to cover in social security, and the ever-rising cost of every product make keeping our businesses open an odyssey in many cases.

Another thing harming the sector is the business model that Mercadona is rolling out across Spain, with tables, chairs, cutlery, and even microwaves for people to heat up prepared food and eat it right there. The truth is, Juan Roig might be a visionary, but it scares me to have all those eggs in one basket. I believe the competition it poses to traditional lunch-menu bars, which are barely surviving, seems very unfair.

A Bleak Outlook Beyond the City Centre

In this article, we have focused on mid-range establishments in Gran Canaria’s capital. If we stop to look at traditional bars or restaurants closing due to a lack of generational succession, like El Perola or Juancito, mid-range restaurants that don’t last 1-3 years, or lifelong cafés being taken over by Chinese businesses, the outlook is far from encouraging.

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