Rafel retires but his famous Sant Antoni winery will survive

  • The beloved hotelier has already signed the transfer but will still be seen by the business during January

  • Its new owner is the family of the nearby Bar Borrell, who assures that they will respect the offer and the spirit of the place

Rafel Jordana, person and character already unforgettable in the mutant neighborhood of Saint Anthony, He had been saying for years that he was leaving, that he could not do more than XXL days and surprises. But the growing success of his highly personal winery at 52 Calle de meek I had him tied to the bar. Too much addiction to the clientele, which was first family and neighborhood, and then even embraced the ‘hipsters’, eager for authenticity. From grandparents to youngsters, everyone waited with fear for the day when the fired. And that day has finally arrived, this Friday: the charismatic hotelier retires, but the business will survive in the same format. This is how the newspaper certifies new owner, who will take the reins on Monday.

Rafel, who was a publicist before he was a winemaker, is the heart of this establishment with an old-fashioned and warm air. So one wonders if the Bodega d’en Rafel it can keep beating without your blood. Without his welcoming smile and the generosity that he expressed by leaving the carajillo bottle next to the cup, among a thousand other signs of identity. For now, you will come in every day for three weeks or a month to soften the relay, to introduce the new headlines. “They are going to keep it because they know that it likes it that way and that is how it works,” he says. The full newspapers bear witness to it.

Looking for rest

After 35 years at the helm of the (also media) business, Jordana says that she is not leaving because of the rents, nor by force. It was a thoughtful and voluntary transfer. But at 65 he wants to enjoy life and family more, take oxygen and rest, forget about stress …, that if you dislike the city council, that if there are restrictions due to the pandemic. Only regrets not being able to have a farewell party, because sanitary circumstances do not allow it, and having to digest the sadness of its parishioners these days, who are without a reference from the neighborhood.

And who will be the new managers? Well the Masero family, at the helm a few years ago of the also iconic Bar Borrell del Paral·lel. The patriarch, Victor, had been after Rafel’s business for a long time, who contacted him as soon as he made the final decision, he does nothing. This businessman explains that he has two children, so each one will manage a place, “with me in between,” he jokes. At the head of the winery will be Marc, with extensive filming as head of the room at the Crazy Cangrejo, he illustrates.

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Victor knows the winery and its commandments by heart, so he promises keep your essence. Nor will the popular croquettes, blood sausages, potato omelettes and other classics disappear, nor will the traditional staff of the house. States that the old interior design will not change either, because the neighborhood is already full of modern and clone businesses. “I like the old, the authentic, we will not touch it.” The only ones improvements that he plans, for later, is to bring the kitchen to the back to enlarge the room a bit, without losing its style. And renew the sinks, which will be appreciated by even the most purists.

Reference-www.elperiodico.com

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