HOT FOOD ONLY

Spanish Restaurants Can Now Charge Extra for Seats in the Shade

En serio?

Restaurants in one of Spain’s hottest regions can now charge a premium for patrons who want to sit in the shade. The regional government of Andalucía, a province in the south of Spain that stretches all the way to Gibraltar, introduced a new law that lets cafes, bars, and restaurants hike prices for tables based on whether they are in the sun or shade, so long as they are transparent about the price points. There are some safeguards to avoid astronomical shaded-seating charges, but the margin is wide: Restaurants can charge up to 10 euros extra for terraced seating, the Spanish newspaper Olive Press reported. In Andalucía—which includes the popular tourist cities of Seville, Granada, Málaga, and Marbella—summer temperatures regularly peak at 96 degrees Fahrenheit, with a typical UV index between 7 and 9 in those months. In 2021, the Andalusian city of Cordoba sweltered at a record high of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, with the summers growing hotter every year.