“My parents they have a little restaurant in Palma and this summer it was quite weak. Today, Saturday August 31, they did not do not even 20 euros of money and I wish I could help you make yourself known a little more.” This was the help message from Julen Collantes, who has gone viral In social networks.
Edurne And Read These are the owners of the oriental restaurant Yuki + q Sushi located on Ramón y Cajal Street, Palma de Mallorca, and His restaurant was saved by neighbors and outsiders who saw the video and jumped into the cause.
EL ESPAÑOL talks to Julen, 24, who uses social networks to upload content related to gastronomy. The check “Cooking with Xino”has more than 88,000 subscribers on Tik Tok and almost 79,000 In Instagram. “Can create a communityto communicate and skinny each other.”
“It didn’t even happen six o’clock of this post, when many people started to scroll the same day. HE complete at the time of meal then in the afternoon. They also received countless calls for orders” said Edurne’s son enthusiastically.
Edurne is original Chinese and founded the little restaurant ten years ago next door ReadJulen’s father-in-law. They offer the possibility of eat on site or pick up on the premises. Among the dishes What they are preparing is the duck with handleHomemade loin gyozas, udon soup and a wide variety of sushi.
“I would like to thank all the support too bad for Internet already the neighbors who turned to the places. Now more people come. Some have already walked through the door and seen the company, but they did not enter. They know us better and it’s important to take care of your community and your neighborhood,” Julen says.
His beginnings
Edurne is originally from Chinese. At 18 years he came to Spain. Always job in the sector of hospitality and restoration. Over time, he meets a Spaniard, Julen’s father. Some time later, the relationship ended.
Edurne in her restaurant Yuki + q Sushi on a work day.
When Edurne met Lei, her current partner, and they decided move in Palma de Mallorca to open his own business in 1995. It was first a souvenir shop, then a restaurant which closed shortly after. until in 2014 They founded Yuki + Q Sushi.
He name of the restaurant is adopted and adapted to Spanish. Really ‘Yuki’ is a japanese word What does that mean?Snow‘. Commercially, it works very well. Only Edurne and Lei are in charge of the businessbetween cooking and serving guests.
Julen studied two years gastronomy in the Hotel School of the Balearic Islands (EHIB). He completed the Diploma of Specialist in Catering and Cooking Services. Later, a postgraduate degree in restaurant and bar management.
A board with a variety of sushi.
Currently, Edurne’s son works as a cook in another restaurant and only in specific cases supports his parents. It is also content creator linked to oriental gastronomy.
Business decline
One of the reasons main of the drop Edurne and Lei’s business is due to the price increase of the raw material Since beginnings from 2024The couple has always taken care to give good quality inputs to their guests.
“He to rent out premises is also increase“, Julen said. “Another reason is because of the type of tourist who has been coming to the island lately. Now they have a different purchasing power and your preferences are in spend on other things and not necessarily while eating.
No were raised close but they had a gran bassoon. “We had a hard time making ends meet. Despite the adverse circumstanceswhen you work on what you are passionate about vocationyou know that good times and bad times are going to come. In two days we did it 1,500 euros,” Julen explains.
According to data employers in the sector, Hospitality of Spainhe 75% Hoteliers acknowledge that this has been same or worse than last yearand one 44.5% have perceived a decrease in visits to their establishments.
The change of tourists
Julen explains a problem that arises regarding the two types of tourists: “Those who come to the restaurant are familiescouples or elderly people, who are delighted to paythey are happy about it servicethey leave advice even”.
THE another side of tourist to whom the cook refers: “They are for the most part young peoplewhich tends to share a lotto the point of bring your own drink other establishments and not everyone is educated. “I’m not referring to any community or nationality, it’s about the person.”
One of the dishes served at the Yuki + q Sushi restaurant in Palma de Mallorca.
At Edurne and Lei’s restaurant, the average cost for a customer is usually between 15 and 17 euros. This is a home cooking where the fresh local produceThey achieve this through their skills and style.
NOW they are resting only the Tuesdaybecause of the large influx guests, because of all the media coverage they had.
Hospitality management
“The hills difficult Today in the hospitality industry it is personnel management. Ultimately, the businessman ends up sinning by not knowing where not having the tools dealing with humans, because They are not machines, they are people“, said Julen.
Another aspect is the complexity to know how to differentiate yourself and understand that people also have a life outside work. “Employees are not there just to get out of your way for the position,” he said.
“I was able discover that social networks are not just there to be demonized or completely rejected,” Julen explains. “The important thing is the proper use What we can offer you. It is possible to create a community which can serve as support to others,” Julen explains in a telephone conversation with this newspaper.
