CARNS BATLLORI – Over 150 Years of Roots in the Market
More than 150 years of roots in the market. The Batlloris are fourth-generation butchers whose history is closely tied to the Barceloneta neighborhood and its market. It appears that their business was initially based at the historic Plaza de Bravos del Torín, which opened in 1834 in Barceloneta. The sale of meat from fighting bulls helped revitalize the meat trade in Barceloneta.
The official history of the business begins in 1875, when the great-grandparents opened a butcher shop in Plaza Sant Miquel. Twelve years later, with the opening of the Barceloneta Market in 1887, the family moved their stall there. Since then, the Batllori family has been an integral part of daily life at the market. The grandparents, Josep Batllori and Trine Farré, established the stall as a leading source for veal, lamb, and beef. For years, they were also among the few butchers in the city licensed to sell fighting bull meat.
The family’s history has also been marked by difficult times. When their grandfather died prematurely, his children, Montserrat and Joan Batllori, took over the business; Joan was fourteen at the time. It was the 1950s, a time of great transformation with the arrival of cold storage, which would revolutionize food preservation. Joan, popularly known as “Juanito de la carne,” would remain at the helm of the butcher shop until he was sixty-four.
The legacy continues with Trini Batllori and Mario Batllori. The siblings grew up helping out in the shop from a young age and continue to champion the market’s value as a workplace and community hub, where the Batllori family has held a prominent place for over 150 years.
CAFÉS SALVADOR – 70 years of artisanal coffee roasting
Located on Calle de la Maquinista, in the heart of Barceloneta, Cafés Salvador is much more than just a coffee shop today: it is a living piece of the neighborhood’s history. The street owes its name to the historic La Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima, founded around 1861.
In this setting of workshops, workers, and neighborhood life, on February 4, 1956, Salvador Palou opened the doors of a small “colmado” that would eventually become one of the few shops in Barcelona that still hand-roasts coffee every day. In those early years, they produced only a single blend—the house blend—which remains the establishment’s hallmark to this day.
This recipe combines beans from Colombia, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Honduras. Over time, the coffee selection has expanded to include some fifteen different specialties.
Today, Miquel Palou, the founder’s son, continues to run the business. He keeps the artisanal roasting process intact and maintains a way of working based on decades of accumulated experience.
Roasting is done using a Roure machine—the third one the family has owned—a replica of an Italian model that has almost become part of their daily life. In addition to coffee, the shop also offers sweets, with more than 50 types of candies, and turrón during the Christmas season.
In 2026, Cafés Salvador will celebrate 70 years of history. More than just a number, these seven decades represent the loyalty of its customers and the endurance of a traditional business that has managed to stand the test of time without losing its identity
