Bar Chucho, Tenerife's Oldest, Honored for 126 Years

Many old bars are closing, people's habits are changing, and new restaurants keep popping up. But Bar Chucho stands out as a rare exception. Located on La Canela street in La Orotava, it's known as the oldest restaurant in Tenerife.

On December 11th, the bar received the 'Friends of Tourism and Citizen Coexistence' award from the Center for Initiatives and Tourism (CIT) of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This award celebrates not just its friendly service and its role as a community hub, but also its incredible 126 years of continuous operation.

Bar Chucho's story began in 1899. That year, Domingo González opened a simple wine cellar that was popular with local farmers and residents. This small place, started in the late 1800s, quickly became a spot where people gathered to share wine and talk. Four generations of the family have kept the business going ever since.

In 1977, Jesús González Domínguez, known to everyone as Chucho, took over. He had just returned from military service when his father, getting older, thought about renting out the bar. "I told him: if you give it to me, I'll keep it," Chucho remembers. Back then, there were no grants or support for self-employed people; he managed everything "alone, completely alone." Chucho has been running the bar for nearly fifty years since then.

For Chucho, the bar wasn't just his job; it was his home. He, his two sisters, and his parents lived for years in a room at the back of the building. This close living arrangement highlights how the bar was an extension of their family life. This mix of home and business shaped Chucho's view of the bar: a warm, personal place deeply connected to the neighborhood.

Now 72, Chucho still runs the bar, though he openly hopes a family member will take over to keep it going. "I hope one of my family will be the successor. I'm ready to retire and rest," he admits. Still, he speaks of the bar with great pride: "For me, it's a satisfaction to be behind the oldest bar in Tenerife."

This pride comes from the values he inherited. Chucho credits his father with teaching him perseverance, hard work, and responsibility. "People think running a bar is easy, but they don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes," he explains. Besides the physical demands, he highlights the emotional strain: the daily pressure, dealing with customers who come in with their own problems, and often having to offer emotional support. "That's the hardest part of the bar."

Bar Chucho has weathered economic crises, social shifts, and major historical events in the country. It stayed open during the 1918 Spanish Flu, the Civil War, and the toughest years of Franco's rule. It even survived the COVID-19 pandemic, though those "three or four months of forced closure" were filled with uncertainty. "There were moments when I thought about closing and doing something else," he confesses, having even tried other businesses in the past.

Over its long history, the establishment has been many things: a tavern, a grocery store, a social center, a local casino, the headquarters for the Teide football team, and even a polling station – effectively serving as a "neighborhood parliament." Chucho has watched generations of customers come and go. Its oldest regular, now 87, remembers visiting as a child with his father when the bar was a roadside inn without electricity, and life was much tougher. "Life used to be purer, but also more complicated," he reflects.

When it comes to food, the bar sticks to traditional Canarian dishes – simple and hearty. They also serve homemade Spanish omelets, classic sandwiches, straightforward burgers, and a selection of local wines. Originally, the wine came from the family's own vineyards, but that tradition stopped because, as Chucho says, "working the land is not very compatible with running a bar."

In recent years, an outdoor terrace has been added, becoming a popular spot for both regulars and tourists. Chucho notes that the bar has always opened early, around 7:00 AM, and stayed open late, until 11:00 PM or midnight. These long hours are a key part of its identity.

Over time, Bar Chucho has received many awards. In 2019, it was given the Gold Medal of Tenerife and the Gold Medal from the La Orotava City Council. Then, on December 11th, it received the 'Friends of Tourism and Citizen Coexistence' award from the Center for Initiatives and Tourism of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. For Chucho, these honors mean "that all the work of so many years is valued."