Sardinian restaurants face revenue decline despite rising tourism

Restaurant owners in Sardinia are reporting a significant decline in revenue despite an increase in tourist numbers. In Cagliari, restaurateur Pamela Solinas of L‘Oca Bianca noted a shift in consumer behavior characterized by the ‘mordi e fuggi’ (eat and run) trend, where guests order minimal food and avoid wine.

Solinas highlighted the economic strain by recounting an incident where she asked guests to leave after they ordered only nine euros worth of food to share, stating, ‘We are a restaurant, not a bar, and we have the costs of a restaurant.’

According to the industry association Confesercenti, consumption in restaurants and tourism-related businesses across the island has dropped by 20 to 25 percent compared to the previous year, with some regions seeing declines as high as 40 percent.