Slobodan, some of those places are empty because of the décor. See you in Madrid?
Rob C
Ah, the typical European snobbery!
I am only too familiar with the unique character and decor of European cafes, and how and why, after them, one might look down on such prosaic, utilitarian and mundane places like McDonald's. But it is what it is, a fixture of American (sub)culture, and I can only applaud those who are trying to infuse some sense of decor into it, however kitschy it might be.
As for Madrid, I wish... but more than two years of unemployment is taking its tall... in every respect.