Latest news with #Perfetto
Local Spain
08-05-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Barcelona bar causes stir by linking coffee prices to time on terrace
A bar in Barcelona has caused controversy by tying its coffee prices to how how long customers spend on the terrace. Perfetto bar, in the Catalan capital's popular Barceloneta neighbourhood, has added small signs on the tables explaining the rising price structure. Firstly, it has the price of a regular café con leche (€1.60), but the new pricing structure explains that if you take more than half an hour to drink it, the price rises to €2.50. If you sit for more than an hour, the price rises to €4. The bar, which is in a famously touristy area of the city, has outraged some, especially online, who have questioned the legality of the move and branded it 'theft'. The small bar has only four tables in the Barceloneta square, and reporting from Spanish daily El Diario suggests there are often customers who order a coffee and camp out on the terrace for hours at a time without ordering anything else. Until one day, when two clients got into an argument after one of them remained seated for over an hour and a half and annoyed the other, who also wanted to enjoy the terrace. Massimo, the bar manager, says they then decided to take matters into their own hands. "It started as a joke, and now it has remained a deterrent measure, just to make people aware," he says. That's why he decided to put the price 'warning' on the tables. "It's a way of raising awareness," he says. "You can't go too many hours without consuming, otherwise the business is not profitable." Though specifically time-tied pricing is a new concept, limiting time on terraces more generally is not new in Spain. As The Local reported back in 2022, in the initial post-pandemic period, many bar and restaurant owners put time limits on terrace tables in order to try and increase business and recoup some of their losses during the Covid-19 lockdown. Limits of an hour, ninety minutes or two hours are common across Spain, especially in tourist hotspots. However, judging by reporting in the Spanish press, it seems there could also possibly be an underlying anti-tourism motivation here as locals don't seem to be getting charged extra. 'We have a loyal clientele, and obviously we don't charge €2.50 if you stay more than 30 minutes,' Massimo stated. Instead, prices go up only when the situation is very 'exaggerated'. In such a touristy area of Barcelona, one has to wonder who exactly is being charged this terraza surcharge. Despite the accusations of greed or 'theft' by some, the bar claims the new policy is more about ensuring fairness for clients than it is boosting profits. Reporting from Cadena Ser states that newspapers in the bar have also proved to be a problem, for example. 'We had two newspapers, but we had to get rid of them because there were customers who hogged them all morning. And there are more people who want to read too,' Massimo explained. The controversial policy goes against a long-standing Spanish custom. Spain is known as the land of sobremesas - the concept of dragging out post-meal get-togethers as the conversation between friends and family members flows - but AN increasing number of café, bar and restaurant owners are looking to crack down on clients dominating tables as a way to increase turnover and profits. A la Barceloneta si vols un cafè te l'has de prendre en menys de 30 minuts. — Maria (@maria_lostia) May 4, 2025
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Man who killed wife with axe in front of children to serve minimum 12 years
The case is covered by a publication ban that prohibits reporting details that could ID the children including the parents' names Scales of justice (Getty Images) A man who pleaded guilty to slaying his wife with an axe – a killing witnessed by the man's two children – was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The decision was handed down by Superior Court Justice Joseph Perfetto, who described the March 12, 2022, killing of the woman at a north London home as 'callous' and 'senseless.' 'There was no mercy shown to the victim,' Perfetto said while delivering his sentence. 'There is nothing that this court can do to undo the past, and in particular the offence before this court. I wish that were different.' The sentence came a week after the accused, who is 55 years old, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case that is covered by a publication ban that prohibits reporting any details that could identify the children, including the identity of their parents. On Tuesday, the court had the opportunity to hear statements written by the victim's children and a sister. In them, the victim was described as a 'loving mom' and a 'kind, caring and empathetic person.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Words can't describe the amazing person my mom was,' the daughter said. She 'was loved by all who knew her.' The killing of their mother has left deep emotional and psychological scars in both children and a void that will never be filled, the son said. 'At first, I believed that it was somehow my fault and that I could have done more to defend my mother,' the son said in his statement. 'For about a year after, there did not go a day or hour where I did not think about killing myself.' In the victim's sister's statement, she said the family went to great lengths to hide from their elderly parents the real cause of their daughter's death in an attempt to spare them the pain that knowing the truth would cause them. 'She was the most beloved and proud daughter and sister in the family,' assistant Crown attorney Kristina Mildred read in court. 'Although we fabricated the lie that (he) caused (an) accident by driving recklessly, losing their beloved daughter . . . has left them devastated.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to an agreed statement of facts between the Crown and the defence, the convicted man had grown increasingly suspicious of his wife for months, believing she had cheated on him and even questioned the paternity of their son. Court also heard London police were called by the victim's son on March 12, 2022, shortly before 6:30 p.m., after the children 'observed their father striking their mother with an axe repeatedly' in their home's basement. Officers found a man with blood on him and arrested him for murder. Two officers found a woman lying lifeless on the floor in the basement with severe injuries to her neck. A blood-covered hatchet was located near her body. The officers attempted life-saving measures, but the woman, whose screams could be heard in the 911 call, was later pronounced dead at the home. When delivering his sentence, Perfetto said the main mitigating factor was the accused's remorse, particularly the fact the man, who didn't have a criminal record, pleaded guilty even before a trial date had been set, sparing his children the need to testify in court. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'm deeply sorry for her family and for my two children,' the man, wearing a wrinkled white T-shirt, said Tuesday. 'I'm not going to say anything to make the court think I'm going to defend myself.' A conviction for second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence. It was up to Perfetto, however, to determine the man's parole eligibility term – how much time he must serve before he can apply for parole – which could have been set from 10 years to 25 years. 'In this case, the particularly brutal nature of the offence; the use of a weapon (against) a defenseless person in the context of an intimate partner relationship, and the profound and traumatic impact that (the man's) conduct has had on the children, justifies a departure from the 10-year minimum parole ineligibility period set on the Criminal Code,' he said. With files from Free Press reporter Jane Sims jjuha@ Read More Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays Columnists
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SIFT HEALTHCARE APPOINTS RALPH PERFETTO AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Seasoned healthcare executive brings decades of product, analytics, and operational leadership to support Sift Healthcare's next stage of growth. MILWAUKEE, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sift Healthcare, a healthcare payments intelligence company leveraging data science and AI to optimize revenue cycle performance, has appointed Ralph Perfetto as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). As COO, Mr. Perfetto will oversee operations, technology, data science, product strategy, and cross-functional execution across the organization. His leadership will be instrumental as Sift scales its AI-powered Payments Intelligence Platform and continues to deepen partnerships with health systems and technology organizations. Mr. Perfetto brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare data, analytics, and technology, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth, building innovative platforms, and scaling operations across both startup and enterprise environments. Most recently, he served as SVP of Digital Products and Advanced Data Analytics at Zelis, where he led data strategy and implementation efforts to consolidate vast amounts of enterprise-wide data assets used to support AI-driven payment integrity solutions. He has held senior roles at HMS/Eliza and Optum and founded multiple healthcare technology ventures, including Response Technologies, QualityMetric, and Privacor. "Ralph's combination of product innovation, operational discipline, and healthcare market experience is exactly what Sift needs as we scale," said Justin Nicols, Founder and CEO of Sift Healthcare. "He brings a sharp eye for aligning technology with business value, and we're excited for him to help drive our next phase of impact." "I'm incredibly excited to join the team at Sift," said Ralph Perfetto. "Sift's platform, culture, and mission to empower healthcare providers through better data and actionable payment predictions fit perfectly with the needs of today's healthcare landscape. I look forward to working alongside Sift's exceptional team to build, scale, and innovate." For more information on Sift's AI-powered solutions for healthcare payments, visit About Sift HealthcareSift Healthcare is a payments analytics and data science company focused on improving financial outcomes for healthcare organizations. Sift's Payments Intelligence Platform and advanced AI analytics enable healthcare providers to fully leverage their payments data to reduce write-offs, accelerate payer reimbursement, improve patient financial engagement and optimize revenue cycle efficiency. Follow Sift Healthcare: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Sift Healthcare
