More than a year after Parcemasa (Malaga's largest cemetery) lost its café, this busy venue is set to have something similar to that much- ... missed bar. The café closed its doors on 31 July last year, after almost 40 years of service, amid a financial dispute that is blocking the renewal of the concession.
The issue remains hampered by the insolvency proceedings involving the company that has run the service in recent years, which had accumulated a debt to the Social Security authorities of around 800,000 euros.
Since then, people attending a wake or a funeral at the San Gabriel cemetery have had to make do with a room full of vending machines, offering drinks and basic food items.
Now, Parcemasa has come up with a compromise solution to offer visitors a place to refuel in greater comfort. What's more, there won't be long to wait, as the new café is expected to open in late November or early December.
On Sunday, Malaga city council announced the results of the tender process, which had received interest from 39 companies, of which 13 ended up completing the process to finalise their proposals.
Finally, the city council has allocated a 42-square-metre premises to Suma Restauración y Catering, which will use it as a café and restaurant. In reaching this decision, the city council has considered criteria such as experience, opening hours, the timeframe for commencing operations and how well the business fits into the local environment. The rent will be 26 euros per square metre.
Meanwhile, the city council has awarded two other joint premises to Marina Flor for a florist's shop, at a rate of 30 euros per square metre.
Once the successful bidders have completed the refurbishment work on these premises, they will be able to start trading within approximately one month.