- According to Project Café Spain 2025, the Spanish branded coffee shop market recorded its third consecutive year of net outlet growth during the 12 months ended April 2025, with year-on-year growth of 3% to 2,215 stores.
- Spain has surpassed Poland to become Europe’s seventh-largest branded coffee shop market, but it’s among the few European countries that aren’t yet saturated with specialty coffee shops and roasters.
- Unlike other European countries that embraced specialty coffee culture in the early 2000s, Spain did so more recently, and it’s now home to internationally-renowned roasters.
- Specialty coffee culture will continue to gain prominence alongside traditional coffee options, culminating in a unique market.
Spain has a long history with coffee, but its adoption of specialty coffee culture is much more recent than its European neighbours.
Traditionally, “torrefacto” – when sugar was added during the final stages of roasting – meant most people drank dark, bitter coffee. Today, however, consumers prefer higher-quality options that showcase terroir and flavour.
World Coffee Portal research indicates that nearly three-quarters of the country’s coffee shop visitors surveyed reported that premium beverages are integral to the ideal café experience.
Like other southern European countries, Spain’s relaxed pace of life is fostering a thriving, mindful specialty coffee market, where growth is gradual yet steadily being woven into daily life.
I spoke with Francisco Gonzalez at Nomad Coffee, Sergio Robles at Cafés My Way, and César Ramírez of CoffeeFest Madrid to find out more.
You may also like our article on how specialty coffee culture is changing in France.
A history of coffee in Spain
Spain’s history of coffee consumption dates to the 18th century, significantly later than that of its European neighbours. The first coffee house is said to have opened in Madrid in 1765.
In the early 20th century, the coffee market expanded due to mass production and increased international trade. However, the Spanish Civil War, which took place between 1936 and 1939, kept coffee imports and consumption low.
It was also during this time that torrefaction emerged. This is the practice of adding sugar during the final stages of roasting, which coats the beans, increases their weight, and slows down oxidation. Visually, adding sugar imparts a shiny, black coating to roasted coffee and results in a dark, bitter taste, ultimately leading to perceived quality issues.
“It lingers more as a cultural habit than a necessity. It began with a practical purpose, gained traction in the early 20th century, and, in the post-war years, helped preserve coffee and mask defects when supply was scarce,” says Sergio, the co-founder and CEO of Spanish specialty coffee roaster Cafés My Way.
“My sense is that younger generations (more curious and open to different flavour profiles) will finally push it into the background,” he adds. “I don’t deny its historical value, but in my experience, once someone tastes a well-roasted coffee and understands what’s in the cup, they rarely go back.”
Although torrefacto has disappeared from most cafés, many supermarket coffee blends still use these beans. Inevitably, this has impeded the growth of specialty coffee culture in Spain. As a result, people’s taste tends to adapt more slowly to high-quality specialty coffee.
“It has slowed our growth compared to other countries, but with patience, communication, and serving great coffee, we’ve managed to grow significantly over the past few years,” says Francisco, the head of coffee and co-owner of Nomad Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster in Barcelona.
Today, traditional and specialty coffee consumption co-exist in Spain.
“The country currently brings together legacy coffee styles from the 1970s (torrefacto robusta), arabica coffee, and specialty coffee,” says César, the owner of NEODRINKS, which organises CoffeeFest Madrid. “Availability depends mainly on the type of establishment and the consumer’s level of education and awareness.
“Capsules continue to dominate at-home consumption, although small specialty roasters are beginning to work with capsule formats, adapting them to higher-quality standards.”
Sergio agrees, saying: “The traditional majority remains strong: capsules account for roughly 60% of retail value, private label sits around 43%, and torrefacto still makes up about 12.5% of consumption.
“However, more people are preparing whole bean at home, the number of micro-roasters is growing, and there is greater demand for origin and traceability.”
Specialty coffee culture emerges in Spain
Spain’s deeply ingrained coffee culture is helping both homegrown and international specialty coffee brands thrive.
According to the World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Spain 2025 report, 80% of Spanish consumers surveyed drink hot coffee daily, and over 90% drink it at least once a week.
“At the bar, espresso and its offshoots rule: café con leche, cortado, solo. And there’s a distinctly Spanish trait: out-of-home consumption is among the strongest in Europe,” Sergio tells me.
The Project Café Spain 2025 report also shows that 83% of Spanish consumers surveyed ordered from an independent coffee shop in the last 12 months, with one in seven doing so on their most recent visit.
Over the last decade, specialty coffee has moved from a niche to a more visible category.
“It first took off in Madrid and Barcelona, and now the momentum is clear in Valencia, Andalusia, and Galicia,” says Sergio.
The emerging specialty scene first took hold around 2014. The number of cafés doubled; the first national AeroPress Championship was held; and the 2015 Spanish Coffee Festival was announced in partnership with SCAE Spain. In 2016, Carlos Zavala won Spain’s first national AeroPress Championship title, further cementing specialty coffee’s presence in the market.
“It was after the pandemic that market acceptance accelerated noticeably,” César says. “This growth became exponential with the launch of CoffeeFest Spain in 2023, which significantly increased visibility and consumer awareness. To me, the event is proof that specialty coffee can be a true driver of change in the industry.”
Francisco says: “Twelve years ago, when Nomad first opened its doors, we sold around seven or eight coffees a day. But through consistent communication and by serving exceptional coffees, people began to realise that specialty coffee is far superior to commercial or torrefacto coffee.
“Once they tried it, they couldn’t go back to low-quality coffee,” he adds. “We’re still working on that mission, but after twelve years, I think we’re in a very good moment for specialty coffee in Spain.”
Given its proximity to major coffee-consuming countries such as Italy and France, Spain’s coffee culture has often been overlooked. However, this has allowed Spain to carve out its own path in the specialty coffee industry.
“I think we’ve done, and are doing, an excellent job, not only Nomad but all specialty roasters across the country,” Francisco says. “I believe we can now compare ourselves to the pioneers in this field – Australia, the UK, and the Nordic countries.”
In fact, it has an advantage over other European countries. A distinctive feature of Spain’s coffee market is its Spanish-language connection to coffee origins in Latin America.
“For us, it’s much easier to connect directly with producers and build long-term commercial and personal relationships,” Sergio explains. “Speaking the same language makes everything smoother, and culturally we also share many similarities.”
What does the future hold?
Despite a slower start, Spain’s specialty coffee market appears promising, particularly as international branded outlets expand in the country.
Spain’s three largest branded chains all expanded their respective networks by double digits over the last 12 months ended April 2025, with market leader McCafé opening 28 net new stores to reach 539 outlets.
Additionally, US coffee giant Starbucks added 17 new sites, bringing its total to 181, while premium domestic chain Santagloria opened 34 net new stores, bringing its total to 165 locations.
UK coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger plans to open 70 outlets across Spain and Portugal by 2033. Colombia’s Juan Valdez, which currently operates nine outlets in Madrid, also views Spain as a key international growth market and, in March 2025, formed a €40m (US$43mn) joint venture with Grupo Trinity to open 140 new stores by 2032.
“Nowadays, when a new café opens, quality is already a priority, so our market will keep expanding,” Francisco says. “We’ll see more specialty coffee shops and roasters with strong brands growing internationally.”
Spain’s thriving tourism industry also positions it strongly. TimeOut ranked Barcelona as the most-booked vacation destination globally in 2025, followed by Paris, Mallorca, and Madrid. With Spain on track to overtake France as the world’s most visited destination, the country’s specialty coffee market will keep growing. Japanese specialty coffee group %Arabica has outlined plans to open locations in Spain, capitalising on record tourist footfall.
“Spain is large and price-sensitive, but premium products are growing: more whole bean, better cups, and more cold beverages,” Sergio says. “Our leadership in decaf and the strength of out-of-home consumption create opportunities that differ from other EU countries.
“By combining understandable quality, reasonable pricing, and verifiable trust, specialty will win (and keep) the customer,” he adds. “Chains will keep opening because demand is there, but the winners will be those that clearly explain what you’re drinking and maintain consistency across locations.”
However, roasters and café owners also face significant challenges due to high green coffee prices and broader volatility, as growing demand continues to strain market dynamics.
“The price of a cup of coffee will increase, and both cafés and roasters will need to add extra value so that customers gladly accept that rise,” Francisco says.
César says: “The market still offers considerable room for growth, largely dependent on cultural habits and consumer education. Progress will come from improving quality standards in traditional hospitality and encouraging a transition at home from capsule machines to super-automatic machines and whole bean coffee.
“Educating consumers is essential, particularly by normalising filter brewing methods, which are ideal for fully appreciating specialty coffees,” he adds. “At CoffeeFest Madrid, we also take on this responsibility, leveraging the event’s visibility to bring specialty coffee closer to the broader market.”
As specialty coffee culture experiences a “slow bloom” in Spain, the question arises: how will the country’s coffee market evolve in the years ahead?
“What we keep seeing, time and again, is that if customers understand what they’re drinking and don’t feel punished on price, they come back,” Sergio concludes. “Less noise and more clarity usually sell more.”
Enjoyed this? Then read our article about recognising the best roasters in Europe.
Photo credits: Cafés My Way, Nomad Coffee
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