Alejandro, a 31-year-old Spanish businessman, says he has already earned 12,500 euros in a single day in a 25 square meter store dedicated to strawberries with chocolate, an example of a “small business, high turnover” that is gaining ground in Spain, and which has already arrived in Portugal.
The story was published by the Spanish portal Noticias Trabajo, which frames the case in a country where youth unemployment remains high, with values frequently above 25% in recent European reference readings.
According to the report, the idea was born after an experience in London, where the businessman saw queues for a strawberry and chocolate station, and decided to adapt the concept with a Spanish product and an aggressive social media strategy.
What’s behind the phenomenon: simple product, “experience” and social networks
The brand associated with the case is La Fresería, which presents itself as a concept centered on “national” strawberries and quick consumption, designed for small stores and large rotation.
In the text, Alejandro states that the brand’s first video on the networks reached 100 million organic views in one week, a number difficult to verify independently, but consistent with the idea that growth was largely driven by viral content.
El País described the “queue effect” as part of the model: a visual product, easy to share, with toppings and formats designed for immediate consumption, supported by a marketing and rapid expansion strategy.
How many stores does it have and where does Portugal fit in?
Regarding size, the numbers vary depending on the date of the source: Noticias Trabajo speaks of 39 locations in Spain, Portugal and France, while a recent sectoral report points to 42 locations in less than two years.
There is also specialized coverage referring to international expansion and presence in Portugal, with the brand “crossing borders” and preparing new openings outside of Spain.
In Portugal, it is possible to taste strawberries with chocolate in Aveiro, at Rua José Estêvão 24, and in Lisbon, at Rua da Conceição 40.
In other words, for the Portuguese reader, the practical point is this: it is no longer just a fashion “out there”, the expansion to Portugal means that the phenomenon begins to appear in urban centers and high-traffic areas, where the small store model works better.
The number that attracts clicks: 12,500 euros in a day in a 25 m² store
The phrase that is circulating, “12,500 euros in one day”, is presented as a peak in turnover, not as a daily average. Still, it is an indicator of how impulse businesses can have “explosive” days when they combine location, queue and virality.
The report mentions prices that can range from lower values to “XL” versions, which helps to explain billing when there is volume and when the product is purchased in a group or in repetition.
But there is an implicit warning: turnover is not profit. In concepts of this type, costs of raw materials, chocolate/toppings, energy, rent, team, platform commissions and waste count, and this is where many “viral” businesses fail when the peak drops.
The context that explains the interest: youth unemployment and entrepreneurship “out of necessity”
The case is framed by the difficulty many young people have in finding stable work in Spain. Recent European data points to Spanish youth unemployment as one of the highest in the EU, with values around 25% in 2025 readings.
The story is used as a narrative of “creating opportunity” when it does not arrive, something that, with the cost of living increasing, also appears in Portugal, although with different numbers and market.
For those reading in Portugal, the interest is less in the “motivational story” and more in the trend: small formats, Instagrammable experience, simple product and rapid expansion, a model that could appear in more cities, especially where there is tourism and street consumption.
What is worth retaining (without romanticizing)
Alejandro’s case shows how a banal product can become a phenomenon when there is differentiation in experience, efficient operation and well-done marketing.
But it also highlights the risk of easy reading: numbers like “€12,500 in one day” are eye-catching and real as a statement, but they do not replace the essentials, consistency of sales, margins, seasonality and costs.
If fashion catches on in Portugal, the most visible impact for the consumer will be simple: more take-away stores selling quick desserts and queues at high-traffic points. For those who are entrepreneurs, the lesson is different: virality can open the door, but only management closes the month.
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