Over 200 certified wine bars, bars, restaurants, and establishments present the manifesto for the relaunch of one of the most crucial and traditional sectors, linked to the Italian quality of hospitality.There are more than 200 realities including cocktail bars, wine bars, restaurants and establishments across the capital that have joined together in the Italian Hospitality Network to launch an appeal to the institutions and propose alternatives for resuming business safely, highlighting the social and community value that these spaces have always represented in Italy—not just places of consumption, but also of cultural and economic growth.
“Yet I believe that men born where good wines are found are much happier,” Leonardo Da Vinci once said. Our country boasts, in fact, a centuries-old tradition linked to hospitality: the innkeeper, the wine producer, the food merchant, the distiller—they represent a great history of study, research, sociability and sharing.
This heritage of experience, handed down from generation to generation, has made our country a global benchmark, a unique example worldwide in terms of culture, quality, and variety. Alongside works of art, it is one of the most attractive factors for tourism in Italy. A history of defined, recognizable tastes and flavors: over the years, study, research, attention to detail, and the application of new techniques have created new opportunities for development, not only economically, making the sector one of the excellences of Made in Italy, consolidating ancient traditions and opening up new paths.
These are the excellences that now come together in the Italian Hospitality Network, complete with a project manifesto containing concrete proposals and ideas to relaunch the sector. These are realities united by the same spirit of attention to quality, respect for the supply chain, and environmental sustainability, claiming the fundamental role of hospitality in the social and cultural fabric of the city by proposing immediate and sustainable economic recovery strategies.
“The scale of our sector in the Italian economy makes us one of its central players,” write the founders in the manifesto. “The data provides a picture of absolute significance—not only for the wealth our activities generate through turnover (15% of GDP) and employment (1.2 million jobs), but also for the connected industries that contribute to delivering our services, from agriculture to suppliers, from large companies to the professionals who support our establishments. We deserve to be heard more. The events that have overwhelmed us in recent months have revealed a scenario as dramatic as it is clear: the representative tools at our disposal are not exhaustive or truly reflective of that part of our sector that considers quality of service the backbone of its offerings. Our universe made up of courageous entrepreneurs, creative bartenders, dedicated chefs, and passionate waiters deserves to be listened to. The public debate that we have experienced firsthand has steered public opinion towards fear and judgment, labeling us as nightlife venues, reducing a crucial topic for our cities’ economy to a clash between neighborhood committees and productive realities. Instead, we believe that, especially now, we can be pivotal in improving the living conditions of the entire city by creating wealth, jobs, generating safety, sociability, and educating the city in a different culture of eating and drinking—a creed to which we are deeply devoted and which we respect in every aspect. Our venues light up entire neighborhoods, our staffs commit to upholding decorum, and our contribution to neighborhoods goes beyond hospitality: we connect people, enliven evenings, create social gatherings, generate opportunities for exchange, and bring prosperity to the city.”
“We believe it is important to promote the creation of a permanent table in our municipalities to address the city’s nightlife, so that our voice is structurally present within the daily life of our administrations. The crisis we are experiencing sees us as one of the last businesses that will be able to reopen. Despite our requests to be heard, which we will continue to pursue, we are witnessing an evident delay in implementing adequate measures to safeguard our businesses, our employees, and our customers. For this reason, we have drafted a series of requests addressed to the Government, Municipality, and Region, to act immediately and determine a turning point for the future. We have decided to focus on dialogue; we believe it is essential that established professionals help institutions to determine strategies, procedures to follow, and standards to achieve.”
Italian Hospitality Network, which already includes over 200 establishments, represents all activities with a license to serve food and drinks that have made research and quality their raison d’être, sharing evening and nighttime hours as their moments of greatest activity.
All proposals are included within a project manifesto, and in just a few hours, over 300 subscriptions and endorsements arrived on Facebook.
