The ECS + COHO Series: The Spanish branded coffee shop market in focus

World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Spain 2025 report shows that the Spanish branded coffee shop market grew 3% over the last 12 months to reach 2,215 outlets, with established international operators and growing demand for specialty coffee set to drive further expansion in the year ahead 

The Spanish branded coffee shop market posted its third consecutive year of net outlet growth during the 12 months ended April 2025, achieving 3% year-on-year to reach 2,215 stores and surpassing Poland as Europe’s seventh-largest branded coffee shop market by size. 

Spain has a deeply ingrained coffee culture, with 80% of Spanish consumers surveyed drinking hot coffee daily, and over 90% at least once a week, according to World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Spain 2025 report. 

Cold coffee, although purchased daily by just 5% of Spanish consumers surveyed, is also growing in popularity, driven by younger consumers and the growing preference for flavour additions.

Forty percent of Spanish consumers under the age of 35 surveyed by World Coffee Portal purchase an iced beverage from a coffee shop at least once a week, with brands such as GoodNews, The Coffee and Dunkin’ making iced coffee a key part of their marketing campaigns in the country.

Indicating the commercial potential for iced beverages in Spain, half of consumers surveyed say iced coffee beverages appeal to them all year round, compared to 35% in the UK, 32% in the Benelux region and just 27% in Ireland. 

Spain’s warm climate and thriving tourism industry have also contributed to rising iced coffee demand. Underlining this dynamic, in 2023, US coffee giant Starbucks said cold drinks would be the primary driver of its long-term growth in the country. 

Spain’s thriving tourism sector is a huge opportunity for international operators 

While net outlet growth in Spain slowed last year, down from 4.6% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022, the popularity of branded coffee shop culture is rising. Spain’s three largest branded chains all expanded their respective networks by double digits over the last 12 months, with market leader McCafé opening 28 net new stores to reach 539 outlets.

Additionally, US coffee giant Starbucks added 17 new sites to reach 181 stores, while premium domestic chain Santagloria opened 34 net new stores to reach 165 locations. 

Seeking to tap into Spain’s strong café culture, UK coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger is planning to open 70 outlets across Spain and Portugal by 2033 in partnership with local franchisee Ibersol Group. Pret has opened 10 stores in Spain since debuting at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport in November 2023. 

Colombian coffee giant Juan Valdez, which currently operates nine outlets in the Spanish capital, Madrid, also views Spain as a key international growth market and formed a €40m ($43m) joint venture with Grupo Trinity in March 2025 to open 140 new stores by 2032. 

Only one international coffee chain, Greece’s Coffee Island, entered the Spanish market last year. However, several others have outlined plans to open their first stores in the country this year, including US donut and coffee chain Krispy Kreme in Madrid, SSP Group-owned AMT Coffee in Lanzarote and Japanese specialty coffee group % Arabica in San Sebastián, in a bid to catalyse rising café culture and record tourist footfall in the country. 

Spain, the second most visited country in the world after France, welcomed a record 94 million international visitors and €126.3bn ($143.7bn), a 10% year-on-year rise. Associated tourism spend also rose 16% to €126.3bn ($143.7bn) in 2024.

A growing market for specialty coffee  

Beyond the expansion of the country’s established coffee chains, Spain’s specialty segment has also achieved notable growth in recent years. World Coffee Portal research shows there is strong consumer demand for specialty coffee in Spain, with nearly three-quarters of coffee shop visitors surveyed citing premium beverages as being integral to the ideal coffee shop experience – behind only speed of service and barista skill in terms of importance. 

Spanish coffee shop operators also note growing consumer interest in specialty coffee, with over two-thirds of those surveyed stating the growth of the segment as the most important consumer trend currently affecting the local coffee shop market – ahead of social media influence (45%) and price consciousness (42%). 

Highlighting the development of the category, homegrown specialty coffee brands Syra Coffee and East Crema Coffee each opened three net new stores last year to reach 41 and 17 outlets, respectively, while specialty coffee and bakery chain Manola Bakes opened 12 net new stores to reach 55 outlets. 

Further emphasising the growth potential of Spain’s specialty coffee segment, Barcelona-based Syra is seeking to more than double its domestic footprint over the next three years, while East Crema has five stores in construction and a further five in its development pipeline. 

Domestic specialty coffee roasters Madness Coffee and Onyva, as well as international specialty chains The Miners and The Coffee, also posted net outlet growth during the period. 

Consumer appreciation for specialty coffee in Spain has been further strengthened by a booming domestic independent coffee shop segment, particularly in Madrid and Barcelona – Spain’s two largest cities.  

Project Café Spain 2025 shows that 83% of Spanish consumers surveyed ordered from an independent coffee shop within the last 12 months, with one in seven doing so on their most recent coffee shop visit. 

Specialty operators Bucólico Café, Osom and Siniestro Café have all found success in Madrid with boutique store designs and single-origin coffee ranges, with Ripa Coffee, Nomad Coffee and D·Origen Coffee Roasters doing likewise in Barcelona. 

A bright future for the Spanish branded coffee shop market

Over two-thirds of Spanish coffee shop leaders surveyed by World Coffee Portal are positive about the current trading environment, with 49% expecting trading conditions to improve over the next 12 months.  

Additionally, 74% of industry leaders reported a sales uplift last year – with 42% achieving sales growth above 5%. 

World Coffee Portal forecasts that the total Spanish branded coffee shop market will add approximately 100 net new outlets by the end of March 2026 and exceed 2,720 outlets by March 2030 at five-year growth of 4.2% CAGR.