Poznati ugostitelj o velikom problemu Jadrana: 'Imamo previše lokala, pola ih treba zatvoriti'

Marin Medak, a well-known restaurant owner in Croatia, has raised concerns over the oversupply of restaurants along the Adriatic coast, suggesting that half of them should be closed due to poor quality and excessive numbers. Despite data from the Tax Administration showing increased spending in the hospitality sector compared to last year, some restaurateurs complain about underutilized terraces and lower guest consumption. According to Medak, the issue lies not with a lack of customers, but with too many seasonal dining establishments of questionable quality along the coastline. The Tax Administration's figures for June and the first half of July indicate a rise in the number of issued bills, increasing from 74 million to 78 million, a 5.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The total value of these invoices rose by eight percent, reaching nearly 1.1 billion euros, compared to just over one billion euros during the same period last year. Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina highlighted that Croatia ranks fourth among European countries in terms of successful tourism performance during the first five months of this year, according to research by the European Travel Commission. According to Medak, the situation on the Adriatic differs significantly from the rest of Croatia. He argues that complaints about weaker traffic primarily concern seasonal objects along the coast. "The Adriatic is one of the most visited regions in the Mediterranean, but in recent years, too many seasonal catering establishments have opened there, often of questionable quality," he stated. "Those who are complaining today are precisely the ones who are most affected." He estimated that the supply of dining venues along the coast is excessive. "I would say that half of these locations should be closed, or they shouldn't have been opened in the first place. Simply, too many catering establishments have opened on the Adriatic," he added. Comparing this with restaurants on the continent which operate all year round, Medak noted how challenging it can be to survive throughout the entire year in Zagreb. "We work 365 days a year in Zagreb, and it's very hard to make it through the whole year. For the first five or six months, we often operate at a loss," he remarked. Regarding prices, Medak claims that they are not above the European average. He attributes a 5.8 percent price increase in the past year to inflation and rising raw material costs. However, he identifies high tax burdens as the main problem. "One of the main reasons for the increase in prices is extremely high taxes. If we had the same VAT rate as Italy, restaurants could be ten percent cheaper than the European average," he argued. In response to calls from the government to reduce prices, Medak urged the government to take the first step. "Let the government reduce taxes, and then we will reduce our prices. That’s very simple," he said. He emphasized that Croatia lacks a clear strategy for developing tourism and suggested that the needs of the Adriatic and continental parts of the country should be considered separately. Medak warned about the highly demanding nature of opening a restaurant, noting a high failure rate, especially in the first few years of operation. Many enter the industry with unrealistic expectations and later realize how demanding it is, leading to poor service and damaging the reputation of the entire sector. "If the customer is satisfied with the service, then the price isn’t too high," he stated. Commenting on the earnings of waiters, Medak mentioned that the average waiter earns more than 3,000 euros per month including tips. He stressed that this is a difficult job and should be adequately compensated. Tips, he said, reflect customer satisfaction. "If a guest leaves a tip, it means they were satisfied with the service." Medak also pointed out that purchasing ingredients in Croatia is more expensive than in Italy or Slovenia, prompting many restaurant owners from the Adriatic to travel to Italy to buy supplies. He concluded that Croatia cannot afford to have significantly lower prices than the rest of Europe since operational costs are already high.