The next chapter of the historic Peret kiosk on Alicante’s Explanada now has a name. Or at least that’s how it can be interpreted after the new concessionaire closed the survey to determine the name the establishment will use when it reopens, given the ownership change, the exterior renovation, and the impossibility of just going back to the classic brand that made it famous for more than a century.
In order to determine if Alicante locals chose a formula that preserved the sentimental connection with the former kiosk or a clear split with the previous name, the survey offered four possibilities. The outcome was clear-cut. It was evident that, at least among those who took part in the social media voting, the weight of memory exceeded any attempt to rename the establishment from scratch because the winning option won by a resounding majority.
With 88% of the vote, Nou Peret was selected as the name. The survey’s other three choices, Passeig (5%), Vela (4%), and Mar (2%), fell well short. The winning name aims to preserve the sentimental attachment to the ancient establishment while adding enough subtlety to signal a new age and, theoretically, get around the trademark problem that prohibited the prior name’s direct use.
Since the Alicante City Council re-awarded the kiosk concession, one of the primary unknowns was the name. Although the new concession keeps the location and the crucial commercial activity associated with ice cream, horchata, soft drinks, and summer beverages for decades, it is unable to ensure the precise continuation of the Peret brand, which was still connected to the former proprietors.
Restrictions
This restriction has already been cautioned about by the City Council. The justification was purely legal: the new concessionaire could not be forced to use the name as it was registered as a trademark. Any attempt to keep the brand without a contract with the trademark proprietors was made more difficult by this protection, which also affected the whole commercial scope of the future business, from ice cream and horchata to cafeteria, bar or restaurant services.
The new owners can function in a middle ground thanks to the vote-selected solution. It doesn’t quite mimic the brand that prevented the use of the historic name, but it also doesn’t completely break with the image of the old kiosk. In any event, the outcome shows that many Alicante locals still link the establishment with a particular memory that goes beyond the business management, the administrative concession, or the new image it will project on the Explanada.
The new appearance is beginning to take shape. In line with the Explanada’s tiles and the sea in the background, the kiosk has switched from its long-standing green design to a navy blue one. According to the terms of the contract awarded by the City Council, the external repair is part of the preparations for the premises before its reopening, which is slated for before June.
Ice cream and traditional drinks will remain at the centre of the menu, which will retain the establishment’s typical offerings. Additionally, the new proprietors have declared that the horchata would be locally sourced and handcrafted from Xixona. Additionally, the corporation may include cocktails, always within the bounds of the permitted operation, in keeping with the kinds of services it offers in other municipal concessions.
For seven years
This year’s contract, which has a seven-year starting term and a total fee of four million euros, ranges from slightly more than 541,000 euros in the first year to more than 609,000 euros in the last year. A long-term future for the refurbished kiosk on the Explanada is made possible by the concession’s potential for two three-year extensions.
Following a protracted dispute between the City Council and the establishment’s prior owners, ownership was transferred. Due to unpaid fees and terrace permissions, the company running the kiosk accrued obligations with the local government of more than €130,000. Additionally, former workers submitted claims for over €200,000 in unpaid pay and back wages; multiple court decisions acknowledged part of these sums.
However, the establishment’s past extends well beyond its most recent administrative conflict. When the kiosk first opened in 1916, the Explanada was still known as the Paseo de los Miséires. Pedro Fuster Iborra, a street nut vendor known as “Pere the Peanut Man,” took over the company shortly after it was first concessioned. Since then, the kiosk has been an essential element of Alicante’s everyday existence, acting as a gathering spot for many generations.
The vote indicates that the new name will draw from the similar memories, even though the reopening won’t precisely mimic the previous brand. The old kiosk thus enters a new phase with a different colour, new ownership, and a renewed name , though with a direct reference to the symbol that for over a century identified one of the most recognisable spots on the Explanada.
