There is a reason Spain is now Five Guys’ most successful European market. People cannot get enough of those juicy burgers, generous fries and sugary sweet shakes, but for the chain, keeping portions unchanged during a period of soaring beef prices came at a steep cost. Here is how the burger giant hit record revenue while navigating an 83% drop in profits.

Record year for sales

Five Guys Spain has just smashed through the €100 million mark for the first time ever. Sales hit €105.9 million in 2025, up 10.4 per cent on the year before. That’s a huge deal for a brand that only landed in Spain back in 2016, and it means Spain is now the best-performing market Five Guys has anywhere in Europe, even though it’s one of the smallest countries the chain operates in.

Big knock in profits

Interestingly though more sales didn’t mean more money in the bank. Net profit dropped to just €698,327, a massive 83.2 per cent fall from the €4.16 million made the year before. Operating profit also slid, down 26.9 per cent to €4.9 million. The reason, beef got a lot more expensive, and rather than pass that cost onto customers, Five Guys chose to eat into its own margins instead. Recipes and portions stayed exactly the same, and toppings and sauces are still free.

A small price rise, but nothing else changed

Back in May 2025, the chain did slightly bump up its menu prices, roughly in line with inflation, just to help protect those margins. It’s keen to stress that nothing else changed. No smaller portions, no reformulated recipes, no charging extra for sauce. That’s a contrast to several other restaurant brands in Spain that have trimmed portions or added new charges over the past year.

Could you soon have one near you?

Only three new restaurants opened in 2025, a much slower pace than the eleven the year before, taking the total to 43 across Spain. New spots opened in Malaga and Benidorm, with Andalucia flagged as a particular focus for growth. Last month, Five Guys opened its first airport location, at Barcelona’s El Prat, hinting at more travel-hub openings to come. Next year, expect fresh openings across several regions, including the Balearic Islands. Since first arriving in Spain, the chain has opened an average of seven restaurants a year (aside from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021), and bosses say that pace is set to pick up again from 2026 onwards, both on the mainland and the islands. Soon you could be tucking into that huge pile of seasoned fries and sipping on one of there shakes at a location near you.

A British resident in Mallorca is preparing for a gruelling 12-hour rowing challenge that could see him break a Guinness World Records title while raising money for mental health support for military personnel, veterans and their families.

James Priestley, who moved to Mallorca just over two years ago, will attempt to row at least 153 kilometres on an indoor rowing machine on Saturday, October 3.

The challenge will take place at his new gym in Port d’Andratx, where he hopes to attract support from the local community as he attempts to complete a record-breaking endurance feat.

From SAS to rowing machine

Priestley is no stranger to extreme challenges. Originally from Leeds and Bradford, he previously worked in the property sector before entering Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, which he won in 2020.

His latest challenge is particularly significant because it is an attempt to complete something he previously had to abandon.

In 2021, Priestley attempted the same 12-hour rowing challenge in Leeds. However, after nine hours and 45 minutes, an injury forced him to stop. The injury eventually required surgery.

Five years later, he has decided to try again, this time from Mallorca.

The current men’s record for the longest distance rowed on a Concept2 indoor rowing machine in 12 hours stands at 152.869 kilometres, meaning Priestley needs to exceed that distance to claim the title.

A challenge with a purpose

The attempt is not simply about setting a new sporting record.

Priestley co-founded VÕS HELP, a mental health support service aimed at serving military personnel, veterans, their families and anyone who needs someone to talk to.

The service connects users with trained counsellors and aims to reduce the time people have to wait before accessing support.

Priestley says the October challenge aims to raise enough money to fund 1,000 free mental health support calls.

He says each call costs around £20 through the service, compared with a significantly higher typical cost for professional support.

The organisation currently has around 1,000 counsellors and volunteers involved, according to Priestley.

Port d’Andratx community gym

The rowing attempt will also showcase Priestley’s new Port d’Andratx gym, which has been created with local residents in mind.

Rather than focusing solely on seasonal visitors, the facility is intended to operate throughout the year and provide a community-focused space offering personal training and fitness facilities.

The gym will be open to the public during the record attempt, with a second rowing machine positioned alongside Priestley.

That means members of the public will be able to join the challenge by rowing alongside him for part of the 12-hour effort.

The mayor of Andratx is also expected to attend during the final hour.

Two records in one day

Priestley is not stopping at the 12-hour target.

He also plans to attempt the eight-hour distance record during the same challenge, before continuing towards the 12-hour mark.

The former SAS winner admits the physical demands will be considerable, particularly because he does not have the physique or specialist rowing background of elite indoor rowers.

However, he believes the mental resilience developed during his time on SAS: Who Dares Wins could help him push through the toughest stages.

The challenge will begin at 7am on October 3 and continue until 7pm.

People wanting to support the fundraising effort can donate through VÕS HELP or visit the Port d’Andratx gym, where QR codes will be available during the event.

For passengers waking up in Valencia this morning and checking their phones for the latest flight updates, there is some welcome news: the airport is open again.

Valencia Airport has reopened after torrential rain caused flooding and forced 12 incoming flights to divert overnight, although passengers are still warned to check their individual flight status before travelling.

The airport runway at Manises was closed late on Wednesday, September 16, after intense rainfall caused flooding in the area. Aena confirmed that the runway was operational again on Thursday morning, with the reopening reported by Europa Press at 8.03am.

The overnight disruption means travellers heading through one of the Valencia region’s main transport hubs today could still face knock-on delays, even though flights are able to operate again.

Valencia Airport is open again

The airport runway has now returned to operation following Wednesday night’s flooding.

According to Aena, 12 flights were diverted as a result of the closure. The disruption came after exceptionally intense rainfall swept across Valencia and surrounding areas during Wednesday evening.

For passengers with flights scheduled from Valencia today, the reopening is positive news, but it does not necessarily mean every flight will operate according to its original timetable.

Travellers should check directly with their airline before setting off for the airport, particularly if their flight was scheduled to arrive in Valencia overnight or early this morning.

Valencia Airport is a major international gateway for the region, with Aena reporting 11.8 million passengers in 2025. The UK is among the airport’s biggest international markets, while Palma de Mallorca, Madrid and Ibiza are the busiest domestic destinations.

That means disruption at Manises can quickly affect holidaymakers, residents and people travelling between the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands.

Torrential rain caused widespread disruption

The airport closure was just one consequence of an exceptionally intense period of rainfall across Valencia province.

Data reported by the Associació Valenciana de Meteorologia (Avamet) showed that more than 100 litres of rain per square metre were recorded at several locations.

At Torrent, 95 litres per square metre had fallen by 10pm, with an extraordinary 71 litres recorded in just 30 minutes.

Avamet described the rainfall intensity as exceptionally high, noting that more than 50 litres per square metre fell in 30 minutes in numerous locations around the Valencia metropolitan area.

The heaviest totals included 106 litres per square metre at l’Eliana, 102.4 at Chiva-Calicanto and 100.3 at Torrent-Calicanto.

The storm was accompanied by thunderstorms and winds reaching around 100 kilometres per hour in some areas.

The intensity of the rainfall was enough to cause flooding and widespread disruption to roads and public transport, with emergency services receiving hundreds of incident reports across the province.

Valencia Torrente Paiporta… el barranco otra vez…@navedelmisterio@carmenporter_#horizonte pic.twitter.com/sEQKu9LNyY

— JJNavarro💯 (@cyberpisha) September 16, 2026

Metrovalencia has restarted but remains disrupted

Passengers relying on public transport to reach Valencia Airport should also allow extra time.

Metrovalencia has restarted services after all metro and tram lines were interrupted during the worst of Wednesday night’s storm.

However, the operator has warned that services are not yet guaranteed to run normally and that passengers could experience problems with regularity.

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) was also working overnight to assist passengers affected by the disruption, including people who remained on some trains. Alternative transport was being arranged where conditions allowed.

This could be particularly important for passengers travelling to the airport by Metrovalencia, as the airport is connected to the city by metro lines 3 and 5.

Anyone travelling to catch a flight this morning should therefore check both their flight and the status of their planned journey to the airport before leaving home.

More transport disruption across Valencia

The effects of the storm have extended beyond the airport and Metrovalencia.

According to Europa Press, Cercanías services on the C2 and C6 lines were operating normally on Thursday morning, while the C1 route between Valencia and Gandia remained interrupted at several points between Sollana and Gandia. The C3 line between Valencia and Buñol was awaiting infrastructure checks.

Road travel has also been affected, with flooding leading to incidents across the province.

In Valencia city, several tunnels remained closed for safety following the heavy rainfall, while emergency services dealt with flooding, water ingress, traffic incidents and other storm-related problems.

The 112 emergency service recorded 478 incidents in Valencia province between 2pm and 11pm on Wednesday, according to figures reported by Europa Press.

What should Valencia Airport passengers do today?

The most important message for passengers is that Valencia Airport is open again, but the overnight closure means individual flights may still be affected.

Passengers travelling today should:

• Check their flight directly with their airline before leaving.
• Allow additional time for the journey to the airport.
• Check Metrovalencia or other public transport services if travelling without a car.
• Follow any instructions issued by Aena and local emergency authorities.
• Avoid assuming that the airport reopening means their particular flight is operating normally.

The latest situation is significantly different from Wednesday night, when flooding forced the runway to close and incoming aircraft were diverted.

For residents and tourists across Valencia, the key development this morning is therefore that the airport has reopened, but the wider transport network is still recovering from the storm.

With exceptionally heavy rainfall having caused disruption across the region, passengers are being advised to check their own journey before setting out rather than relying solely on the airport’s reopening.