Founded in 2017 and opened its first store in Madrid in June 2018, Manolo Bakes has grown into one of the most recognised names in Europe’s coffee house category in under a decade. The Spanish brand now operates more than 70 stores across Spain and Portugal and is preparing to take that success story abroad.
At the heart of the brand is the Manolitos, its signature pastry, alongside the Palmitas — both baked fresh daily and hand-decorated one by one. Around this core product, Manolo Bakes has built a complete premium coffee & bakery proposition: specialty coffee made with its own blend, an evolving menu of hot and cold drinks, pastries and savoury options for every time of day.
The brand’s growth has been driven as much by community as by product. Club Manolo Bakes, its loyalty programme, has surpassed 520,000 members and has become one of the main engines behind repeat visits and the company’s digital strategy. Manolo Bakes is also among Spain’s leading brands in the delivery channel, combining high-street stores, shopping centres and travel retail locations with a distinctive, recognisable design.
Having consolidated that model at home, the company is now turning its attention outward. Manolo Bakes has reorganised its Expansion area, bringing domestic and international development under a single leadership headed by David López, Global Business Development Director, with the United Kingdom as the first priority market and Latin America and the Middle East under exploration.
“Manolo Bakes has all the attributes needed to succeed internationally: an iconic product, a clear value proposition and a simple, profitable operating model,” said López. José Antonio del Castillo, General Director of Manolo Bakes, added that the company is pursuing international growth “with ambition, but also with discipline and a focus on creating long-term value.”
The international rollout will lean on partnerships with multi-unit operators in each target market, with Manolo Bakes aiming to enter one or two new countries in 2027 while continuing to expand across the Iberian Peninsula in parallel.
About Manolo Bakes
Manolo Bakes is a Spanish coffee & bakery brand founded in 2017 that opened its first store in Madrid in June 2018. It now operates 70 stores across Spain and Portugal, offering a premium coffee & bakery proposition built around the Manolitos and Palmitas — baked fresh daily and hand-decorated — alongside specialty coffee, pastries and savoury options. Club Manolo Bakes, its loyalty programme, has more than 520,000 members and is one of the company’s main drivers of repeat visits.
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