De Luz y Cía.: Reinventing Ownership in Hospitality

This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

Lucía came to entrepreneurship through the world of social law and cooperatives. Carlos brought experience fromlarge hospitality chains. Together, they imagined a company rooted in care and fairness, but also grounded in excellence. Early on, they chose to work with small-scale, local producers and to open spaces that could both serve the community and give meaning to the people who worked there.

Their footprint expanded steadily. In Santander, they opened four spaces that helped renew the local food scene: Deluz, El Machi, El Italiano and La Caseta de Bombas. In Madrid, they created Taberna La Carmencita, Celso yManolo, La Vaquería Montañesa and Café Angélica, a café and roastery that buys directly from smallholder farmers through fair trade. The group’s approach drew the attention of both customers and international media, but behind the scenes, they were feeling the limits of a traditional management model.

By 2016, despite their social mission, decision-making remained centralized and energy was low across the team.“We had a strong culture of care, but not of participation,” Lucía recalled. They realized that the problem was not the people, but the structure. Inspired by their own values and informed by reading and training in facilitation and systems thinking, they began a company-wide process of change.

The transformation began with a shared diagnosis. All 150 employees were invited to participate in open conversations about what was working and what wasn’t. This collective reflection surfaced a widespread sense of disconnection and underused talent. The founders decided to move forward together and began to rewire how decisions were made, how people were trained, and how value was shared.

Over the next two years, the team participated in weekly training sessions that focused on communication, emotional management, non-violent conflict resolution, and collaborative decision-making. Lucía described this period as one of intense learning and unlearning. Roles became more fluid, power was decentralized, and former managers shifted into support functions. Key decisions such as hiring, recipe changes, and investment in equipment were now handled by teams using advice or consent processes, depending on the scope. The group also introduced monthly financial reviews open to everyone, where results and challenges were shared transparently.

Many of these practices reflect ideas that are also present in the RenDanHeYi model. For example, the principle of micro-enterprise with P&L can be seen in the way restaurant and project teams take responsibility for their own performance and finances. Similarly, the notion of zero distance to users comes through clearly in how frontline staffare encouraged to act directly on customer feedback. “If a server notices something isn’t working, they don’t need to ask permission. They propose the solution,” said Lucía.

There are also parallels with dynamic partnering, as people move between roles and initiatives based on interest and capacity. Facilitators support collaboration but do not impose direction. In some teams, those with experience inlogistics, communication, or purchasing take the lead, but always within a framework of consultation and mutual accountability.

When the pandemic struck, the organization’s capacity for adaptation was tested. In the midst of lockdowns and closures, the team revisited a collective “dreams workshop” they had held months earlier. One idea from that session, a grocery store connecting small producers directly with local consumers, quickly moved from concept to action. Within weeks, they launched El Súper de los Pastores (The Shepherds’ Supermarket), a network of neighborhood stores in Cantabria, Vizcaya and Madrid. These shops provided both economic relief for producers and food access for communities, offering a clear example of user co-creation under pressure.

Their reputation for ethical sourcing and purpose-driven operations soon attracted interest from large clients. Inditex,the Spanish fashion group behind brands like Zara, reached out looking for a partner to design sustainable food services for its corporate campuses. Shortly after, ACCIONA made a similar request for its innovation center in Madrid. These partnerships led to the creation of La Cocina de los Pastores (The Shepherds’ Kitchen), a catering company that now delivers thousands of meals each day using seasonal, local ingredients and a participatory, self-managed structure.

From the start, teams in kitchens and logistics were involved in developing menus, setting prices, and planning investments. No single leader controlled the company’s direction. Instead, decisions emerged from sharedresponsibility, trust, and collaboration. This approach resonates with the principle that everyone is an entrepreneur, where each person contributes not only labor, but initiative and care.

Today, De Luz y Cía. continues to operate without traditional hierarchy. Over 200 people work across restaurants, shops, and food service programs. Facilitators support teams instead of directing them. Conversations about money,purpose, and improvement happen out in the open. Slack supports coordination and learning across locations. And while they have faced challenges including tight margins, onboarding new partners, and the emotional toll of uncertainty, the structure has remained resilient.

Their commitment to social and ecological responsibility also continues. The group works closely with Siete Valles de Montaña, the first cooperative of organic cattle ranchers in Cantabria. It maintains Depersonas Cocinando conSentido, a social catering initiative created
with Ampros that now delivers over 1,000 meals each day to public schools and senior centers using only fresh, zero-kilometer products.

Lucía often describes this journey as one of returning to joy. “Some people arrived here after years of feelingunseen. And suddenly, with a bit of space and care, they blossom,” she said. “We all grow together.”

De Luz y Cía. did not reinvent the restaurant industry. They reinvented who the restaurant belongs to.