In Turin, a recent regulatory change has shaken up the restaurant industry, sparking a lively debate. Starting today, the city's hotels have the green light to open their bars and restaurants to the public, allowing anyone, no longer just their guests, to enjoy their food and beverage services.
This decision, promoted by the Piedmont Region, effectively equates hotels with traditional public establishments, at least as far as in-house catering is concerned, eliminating the need for an additional license that bars and restaurants have always had to acquire.
The regulatory change and the advantages for hotels
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The new regional law, approved by Palazzo Lascaris, allows hotels to offer meals, aperitifs, and drinks to non-residents, using the administrative authorization they already hold to serve breakfast and meals to guests. This means that the catering license normally required for public establishments will no longer be required. Details on the regulations for hotel accommodation facilities are contained in the Regional Regulation No. 9 of May 15, 2017
In Italy, similar regulations exist only in a few other regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, Sicily, and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Federalberghi expressed its full satisfaction with the measure, deeming it in line with modern tourism needs and a strategic move to enhance the city's hotel offering. Hotels can now attract a wider audience, including residents, and increase their revenue, strengthening their competitiveness in the market.
The restaurateurs' protest: a cry against "unfair competition"
However, the decision has triggered strong backlash from Turin's restaurant and catering industry, who openly denounce "unfair competition." Epat and Ascom Torino, the trade associations representing public establishments, have expressed deep discontent.
Vincenzo Nasi, president of Epat, emphasized how the hospitality sector is increasingly under pressure from new openings with unclear or overly permissive rules. In addition to hotels, he lamented, delicatessens, bakeries, and even artisanal businesses have attempted to obtain the right to serve food and beverages, creating a fragmented and complex regulatory landscape.
Doubts about equal rules for all: the crux of inequalities
The real crux of the matter, according to Nasi, as reported by La Stampa, concerns the enforcement of the rules: if hotels are allowed to serve the public, they will also have to comply with all the provisions of the regional law on catering (no. 38 of 2006).
This regulation includes, among other things, mandatory professional training courses, registration in official registers, compliance with stringent hygiene and health requirements, adherence to time limits, compliance with advertising requirements, and adequate parking. "We wonder," Nasi stated, "whether hotels will be subject to the same obligations as traditional establishments.
If this were not the case, we would be faced with a clear competitive imbalance." Traders believe it is essential that there be uniform treatment and that the same rules apply to everyone, without creating "grey areas" that favor one part of the sector.
Their main concern is that this opening would unfairly advantage hotels, which, having an established structure and a guaranteed clientele, could operate with fewer costs and constraints than restaurateurs operating exclusively under dedicated licenses.
Future prospects and need for clarification
The current situation in Turin highlights growing tension between two sectors that, despite operating in the same hospitality sector, face different regulations.
While Federalberghi sees the new law as an opportunity for growth and modernization, restaurant associations are calling for clarity and a level playing field. It will be crucial to understand how the Piedmont Region intends to monitor the implementation of these new provisions and whether measures will be introduced to ensure fair competition among all operators.
The debate is open, and its resolution will significantly influence the future of Turin's gastronomic landscape.
