How do women in the Coffee Industry describe their professional experience? What are the biggest obstacles they face and what are the prospects for themselves? All the answers to important questions are given through a survey on the role of women in the Coffee industry, which was presented exclusively during the HORECA 2025 exhibition.
The results of the survey offer an interesting look at the challenges and opportunities that women face in the coffee industry, as well as their prospects for the future.
Regarding the profile of the women who took part in the survey: 32% of the women belong to the age group of 18 to 29, 27% are 30 – 39 and 24% are 40 – 49.
They also have diverse educational backgrounds, with 34% being high school graduates and 41% holding a university/technical college degree. 36% state that they have no specialized education in coffee, which indicates the need for more training and education opportunities in the industry, 35% have been trained in workshops/seminars, while only 14% have SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certification.
The monthly income for 49% ranges between 800-1200 euros, while 27% earn less than 800 euros. These figures show that there is a need to improve financial rewards in the industry.
Regarding jobs, 49% work as baristas, while only 15% belong to administrative staff. 43% belong to the low management level, while 30% to the middle. These data indicate that women have a significant presence in jobs that require direct contact with the customer, while there is also a notable representation in management positions, mainly at low and middle levels.
Regarding the years they have been active in the coffee industry, 30% stated more than 10 years of work, while 19% said 6-10 years. Similarly, 19% stated 1-3 years.
Challenges & Opportunities
When asked how they would describe their professional experience in one sentence, 49% answered wonderful/positive, while 20% saw it as a challenge. It is worth mentioning that 11% answered bad/negative.
Regarding the criteria based on which they chose this particular job, 34% mentioned financial need and 30% their interest in coffee, while 20% said that they found themselves working in this particular field by chance, however, the fact that 21% of them answered that they have been working in the industry for over 10 years, shows that the sector ultimately won them over and they invested in a career in it.
In response to this question and how they see their future in this particular field, 24% consider it a temporary job and that they intend to change profession, while 37% state that they will stay. At this point, it should be mentioned that of this percentage, 62% stated that they have SCA certification, which shows that they are really invested in this career and want to have a future in it.
Regarding the biggest challenges faced by women in the coffee industry, most of them answered the excessive stress and long working hours (35%), the lack of professional development opportunities (22%) takes the second place, the lack of job security or stability with 21% is in the third place and prejudices and stereotypes take the fourth place with 19%.
Despite the challenges, 33% say that education or training contributed to their career. 32% mentioned the recognition of their abilities by management. And a 28% -who are working at the high management level- stated that they have been assigned important projects and tasks.
Regarding the future of their career, 25% of women want to have more opportunities to develop their skills through education or specialization, while 22% want to create their own business. However, 27% believe that the coffee sector has no future in Greece, which indicates the need for strategic decisions and actions that will enhance the development and sustainability of the sector.
54% of women believe that the sector is quite friendly to female professionals, but there are still cases of inequality or discrimination based on gender. In fact, 56% state that they have experienced such behavior. In order to make the sector more friendly to women, 16% suggest a general change in mentality and 14% that employers/companies should place more women in leadership positions.
The survey reveals that, despite the challenges, women in the coffee industry are optimistic and see opportunities for growth and development. However, it is necessary to address the issues of education, financial rewards and equality in order to create a more supportive and sustainable work environment for women in the coffee industry.
The survey on the role of women in the coffee industry was conducted for the first time in Greece for the Greek branch of IWCA (International Women’s Coffee Alliance) by the independent research company Ierax Analytics.
Major Sponsor of the survey was FORUM S.A., the organizing company of HORECA and Sponsors were: Synergia S.A.-Nespresso Professional, Artemis Mixer, NKG Bero Italia SpA, Kross Coffee Roasters & Savina Yahgia.
