Emigrants on the Island: Two Couples Start Anew – How Mallorca Benefits

Emigrants on the Island: Two Couples Start Anew – How Mallorca Benefits

An ice-rolls concept and a second interior design shop bring new ideas to the streets during the low season

On Saturday, a rerun of the well-known docu-soap airs on pay TV, following two German couples as they embark on their new lives on Mallorca. The stories avoid sensationalism and instead show all the small moments that immediately feel familiar on the island: the rumble of a loader at a construction site, the clatter of coffee cups on the Plaça Major and the distant cries of seagulls over the harbor.

Juliette Schliwa and Holger Bombien plan to surprise the island with their ice rolls. The idea is simple and appealing: freshly prepared rolled ice cream variations that will surely be popular on Mallorca during the hot months. The logistics are more difficult. Juliette is still tied to her job in Germany, Holger is often alone in Paguera, and finding a suitable shop space when the season is winding down is no small feat.

The second story follows Niels Hansen and Steffen Reimers from Hamburg. The two already work as luxury interior designers on the island and now want to open a second shop. On the way there they face a classic Mallorcan hurdle: construction sites right in front of the shop window, neighbors who look upset, and worry about their old dog Lilly, who urgently needs veterinary care. These are scenes often seen on the way to Passeig Mallorca or in the side streets around the harbor: people juggling their personal problems next to their businesses while still making plans.

Why is this good for Mallorca? Because new, small concepts enliven the place. An ice-rolls kiosk can attract tourists in summer but also offer locals a welcome change in the low season. A second interior design shop brings jobs for craftsmen, work for delivery companies and sometimes new ideas to the neighborhood. Cafés on Passeig Mallorca often have brochures from local shops, and when a new offer appears in a quiet week, it does not go unnoticed.

A positive everyday observation: on Mallorca you increasingly meet people who dare to try things on a small scale. In the mornings in Palma you hear hammering on balconies; in the afternoons a market stall offers not only olives but also DIY tips for shop owners. This mix of craftsmanship, tourism and neighborhood life makes the island flexible. Young founders and couples with business ideas fit well into this fabric if they are willing to think locally.

A few pragmatic tips I take away from the scenes and many conversations with local businesspeople: if the right storefront is missing, pop-up stands at markets or on promenade weekends are a good entry. Construction noise can be softened with clear communication to neighbors and by adapting opening hours. Those looking for staff or service providers should start early with regional ads; the island community relies heavily on personal contacts.

For Juliette and Holger, a test stall at one of the Sunday markets could quickly show whether the ice-rolls concept works here. For Niels and Steffen, an opening format that playfully integrates the construction site could work – for example, a small inauguration with workshops on interior tips that welcomes neighbors and craftsmen. Such actions don't need large advertising budgets; they require time, good neighborhood relations and a coffee to talk over.

For Mallorca, the presence of such founders is a reminder that the island is more than high season and Ballermann clichés. It is the small shops, the workshops and the ice-cream makers that create corners where people like to linger. When the camera captures test setups, negotiations with landlords and quiet moments at the vet, you see what truly matters here: people who try things and in doing so shape the island a little more.

A look ahead: whether the ice rolls become a new summer favorite or the second interior design shop turns into a meeting place for design fans depends on many coincidences. But the starting position is right: Mallorca has room for experiments, and the neighborhoods are open to new small businesses. On clear days you can hear the work of the day fading along Passeig Mallorca, the air smells of sea and cinnamon from the bakeries, and it is often there that what makes the island livable emerges.

For those looking for the TV schedule: the rerun airs Saturday evening on a pay-TV channel, available through various subscriptions. For anyone who prefers to look in person: a walk through the shopping streets of Palma or a visit to the Sunday market quickly reveals which ideas are already being tried out.