Chinese nationals were by far the largest individual foreign group, accounting for 18.6 per cent of owners surveyed. One in four hospitality autónomos nationwide is foreignBarcelona is the more dramatic example, but the wider trend does extend across Spain. With Spain recently recording around 329,000 hospitality autónomos, that points to roughly 84,000 foreign self-employed workers in the sector. Why Chinese ownership does not necessarily mean Chinese foodThe move from running Chinese restaurants into taking over conventional Spanish cafés and bars is not new. At the same time, the number of foreign autónomos in Spain is rising rapidly.