A bar in Sevilla has begun limiting customers to just 30 minutes at a table in a sign of the mounting pressure facing Spain’s hospitality industry.

The Spanish Eye spotted the notice this week on the terrace of an eatery in the Nervion neighbourhood of the Andalucian capital.

‘The maximum time for consumption at the table is 30 minutes, thank you,’ the sign reads.

Speaking to The Spanish Eye, a worker admitted the measure had been introduced to stop customers ordering a single coffee before occupying tables for hours during busy periods.

He said soaring costs linked to running bars and restaurants in Spain are increasingly forcing business owners into difficult decisions.

‘It’s becoming very expensive to run any kind of business now,’ he explained, pointing to rising electricity bills, wages, rent and supplier costs.

However, he insisted the rule would not always be enforced rigidly.

He admitted that customers who continue ordering drinks or food are unlikely to be asked to leave after the 30-minute limit expires.

Instead, he said the policy is mainly aimed at people who take up valuable terrace space after making only a minimal purchase.

The move highlights growing tensions in Spain’s cafe and bar culture, where terraces have long been associated with slow-paced socialising and lingering over coffees for hours.

But with operating costs rising sharply across Spain in recent years, hospitality businesses are increasingly under pressure to maximise turnover – particularly in high-demand urban areas like Sevilla.

Nervion, located close to Sevilla’s Santa Justa station and the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, has become one of the city’s busiest commercial and residential districts, with terrace tables often at a premium during peak hours.

While timed seating policies remain relatively uncommon in Spain compared to some northern European cities, similar measures have started appearing in tourist hotspots and busy urban centres where cafes struggle to balance customer demand with rising overheads.

The pressures facing Spain’s hospitality sector were highlighted last year by Javier, the owner of Pou Cafe Tapes in Sitges, near Barcelona, who described running a bar as a ‘financial nightmare’.

Speaking to YouTube creator Eric Ponce, Javier revealed he often works from 7am until 11pm because he cannot afford to hire staff.

He explained that employing workers in Spain can cost up to 1.7 times their gross salary once mandatory social security contributions and benefits are included.

‘For a €40,000 salary, the real cost can end up being €60,000 or more,’ he said.

Javier admitted the stress had become overwhelming.

‘Many nights I’m awake at three or four in the morning thinking: ‘Tomorrow I have to pay this bill… where am I going to get the money?’’

Despite the financial pressure, he said he refuses to raise prices for customers.

‘The price is the same because I understand people,’ he explained. ‘Not everyone can afford to pay more.’

For now, the Sevilla bar said its own 30-minute sign is more of a deterrent than a strict countdown clock.

‘If people are consuming properly, there’s usually no problem,’ he said.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.