Sabores Express, another Argentine empanada chain lands in Barcelona to enrich its wide gastronomic offer. The company, which already has 20 stores in Madrid, opened in Sants this June, giving away empanadas of all kinds to the first customers. The store will also sell cheese bread, croissants and pizza slices.
This company arrived in Spain in February 2023 and already has 25 locations, most of them in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha. In the next two years, Sabores Express plans to open a hundred stores, with Barcelona in its sights.
In Argentina, Sabores Express has more than 100 branches selling empanadas and pizzas. In Barcelona, one empanada costs 1.5 euros; and a dozen, 15.
Expansion of Sabores Express and other empanada franchises in Barcelona
In Barcelona, Sabores Express has many competitor chains dedicated to the preparation and sale of Argentine empanadas. There are currently close to 100 such facilities in the city, nearly double the number that existed prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sants is the neighborhood that has most of the Argentine empanada stores.
In 2013, Las Muns was the first Argentine empanada chain to open in Barcelona and since then the presence of franchises and chains dedicated to the sale of this product has greatly increased. The most numerous chains in Barcelona are Tío Bigotes, with 24 branches; Las Muns, with 20 outlets, and Empanada Club, with 14 branches.
At a distance, La Fábrica and I Love Empanada follow, each with 8 stores; and Malvón, with 7 stores. The other companies in the city that sell Argentine empanadas are privately owned, i.e., they do not belong to any chain or franchise.
Argentine immigration, a key factor in the success of empanadas
The expansion of empanada companies such as Sabores Express is partly explained by the increase of Argentinean immigration in Barcelona and Madrid, and this migrant group demands typical products from their country.
According to data from the Argentine consulate, approximately 500,000 Argentines are said to be living in Spain. For its part, the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat) indicates that 13,000 people of this nationality live in Barcelona, although it would probably be necessary to add some 15,000 more if Argentines with Italian nationality are taken into account.
On the other hand, the success of Argentinean empanadas can also be explained by the quality and flavor of these stuffed pastries, which have conquered the palate of the people of Barcelona and have become one of the star dishes of the city.
