Tapas Franchises – Is this a new franchise trend?

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 24/06/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 4 min

Tapas Franchises – Is this a new franchise trend? — Photo © tapas-franchise-trend.jpg

No one knows for sure how tapas came about. Some link it to Southern Spain; suggesting that King Alfonso X of Castille introduced the idea of small sharing plates while recovering from an illness in the thirteenth century. Others say the Middle East has also played a part in the evolution of tapas, as Moors brought their traditional ‘mezze’ dishes to Southern Spain during their 700-year occupation of the region that lasted until 1492.

However tapas developed, there’s no denying that tapas has cemented itself as one of Spain’s most archetypal dishes, enjoyed by Spaniards and holidaymakers alike. In the twenty-first century, tapas has made its way to the UK, where adventurous foodies have jumped at the chance to enjoy authentic Spanish food in a new and exciting way.

Tapas in the UK

The advent of the internet and social media has put international cuisine on show for a new generation of restaurant diners, increasing demand in the UK for a range of different foreign dishes. As certain dishes are shared in abundance on social media, they have their moment in the limelight, prompting UK diners to seek out restaurants that serve them. Over time, this has sparked a hunger for fresh, interesting dishes, as diners become more adventurous.

In UK tapas restaurants, Brits have found comfort in small, cheap and shareable plates that are consumed in cosy settings with dimmed lights. If you’re looking for a laidback dining experience, tapas restaurants are the way to go, as the dishes can be consumed over a couple of hours, whilst you chat with friends and family.

What’s more, the small dishes of high-quality cuisine look great on camera. Attractive saucers of sliced meat, calamari and sundried tomatoes and mozzarella have helped tapas restaurants gain popularity among diners who like to show off their food experiences on social media – and those who see their posts.

How Restaurant Owners Can Get Involved

If you run a restaurant that doesn’t provide tapas options, there’s no reason why you should miss out on the profit to be made from tapas lovers. If you don’t already, why not introduce a ‘small plates’ menu to complement your current offering? You could also call it ‘bites’, ‘snacks’ or even ‘tapas’, depending on the style of food you intend to serve, but by getting involved in the tapas revolution, you can maximise your revenue and ensure each one of your customers can order the right amount of food for them; while some diners will get through three or four tapas dishes, others may prefer just to order one or two.

If you’re stuck for ideas, you could try introducing dishes made with ingredients such as chorizo, meatballs, fresh seafood such as mussels, battered seafood such as calamari, croquetas, stuffed peppers and olives. You could also think about offering cold meats and cheeses. Many Spanish dishes incorporate a range of spices to boost flavour, so you should consider using paprika, chilli, cumin and saffron. And don’t forget the most important ingredient of all – high-quality olive oil.

Tapas Restaurants UK

So, where can you find great tapas in the UK? Let’s take a look at some of the best tapas restaurant chains currently in operation.

La Tasca

Founded in 1993, this is a restaurant that has been developed over the years by a “collection of Spanish food enthusiasts”. It has locations in London, Essex and Liverpool and offers two-for-one cocktails and pitchers all day every day.

Tapas Revolution

This tapas restaurant chain has seven sites, located in London, Windsor, Kent, Bath, Birmingham, Sheffield and Newcastle. It prides itself on its selection of authentic food, wine and beer that is typical of that found in Madrid. The chain is particularly popular with students, who can get a 50 percent discount on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ibérica

This chain has eight restaurants; five in London, one in Leeds, one in Manchester and one in Glasgow, and offers takeaway services in the cities in which they are based. This is a restaurant chain with a real flavour of Spain. That’s because the Spanish architect, Lázaro Rosa Violán, designed each restaurant to reflect Spanish interior design styles. In Ibérica restaurants, you’ll find vintage maps, paintings and pots to bring a sense of Asturian Celtic heritage to the UK.

Open a Tapas Franchise

If you’d like to go the whole hog and open a tapas restaurant, joining a franchise can help you on your journey. Tapas restaurants are not new to the franchising scene, but there aren’t many tapas franchises in the UK, so let’s find out more about Cañas y Tapas, a European restaurant franchise.

Cañas y Tapas

Cañas y Tapas serves traditional Spanish food with a contemporary twist. Its menu incorporates dishes for all times of the day and it currently operates 14 restaurants in Spain, one in Portugal and one in France. It is on the lookout for entrepreneurs that are dedicated to bringing authentic tapas to international markets and has already identified five territories in which franchisees can develop the business: the Middle East, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, India and the Russian Federation.

To become a Cañas y Tapas franchisee, you’ll need to be committed to realising the brand’s vision and excited about providing a fantastic customer experience. You should also have a good track record of launching and running a restaurant and sufficient capital to open several units in a five-year period.

Once you’re on board, Cañas y Tapas will make sure that you have all the tools you need to launch a successful business. This includes on-site training, ongoing monitoring and support with business operations, recruitment, staff training, menu development and marketing.