The news that a well-known fast-food chain is to open premises in the old part of La Laguna is not proving to be to everyone’s liking.
Tenerife media have given extensive coverage to revelations that major refurbishment work since last summer on one of La Laguna’s iconic buildings is being carried out to make way for a Burger King restaurant, adding to the approximately 50 the chain operates in the Canaries.
The early 19th century building stands next to the World Heritage City’s Church of La Concepción, a few metres from the church’s flagship bell tower. The prospect of it being used by a fast-food chain has raised eyebrows among many locals and traders, who see the presence of the hamburger outlet as a worrying shift away from the traditional atmosphere of an area renowned for the tasca-type restaurants and the pavement cafés that populate its historic cobbled streets, which were pedestrianised years ago to help la Laguna retain its old flavour.
Similar sentiments greeted the arrival of Starbucks in the same area in December 2018 but the reaction to the Burger King opening appears to be considerably stronger, even if the owners of nearby tascas say “they do not fear the competition as the clientele will be very different”.
Not everyone will be concerned at the arrival of the famous hamburger chain, however. La Laguna is a university city with thousands of students who will welcome the opportunity to enjoy a more modern and speedier food experience in the old part and not have to confine themselves to the student cafés in and around the university.
No date has been set for the Burger King opening, with initial forecasts of early 2025 revised. Sources say the definitive date has been put back on a number of occasions due to the complex nature of the renovations being carried out on the listed building – the entire front and carpentry of which cannot be altered – and the strict supervision of the work by La Laguna’s heritage compliance department.
