Mikel Coffee Company is a dynamic player in the coffee and catering industry, with a growing international footprint over the past 17 years.
Having aligned with the UN Agenda 2030, the firm has integrated practices contributing to sustainable development into every aspect of its operations, effectively supporting the achievement of ten (10) critical Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDG 1 – Zero Poverty: Empowering Communities through Job Creation
Through the global development of its network, the company now operates in more than 20 countries around the world, with
one of the main goals of its strategic plan 2025-2030 being its further growth in existing countries where it already operates, as well as expanding in new countries around the world. Each new store creates new jobs, contributing to each region’s growth, as well as to improving local communities’ living standards, making its mark against the phenomenon of poverty.
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: Ensuring Product Quality and Safety
An integral part of Mikel Coffee Company’s corporate identity is consumer health and well-being. From sourcing raw materials to manufacturing and using store equipment, strict quality and safety standards are applied at all stages of the supply chain. All raw materials and finished products fully comply with internationally recognized standards, ensuring the health and safety of our consumers, while developing model stores, with this practice contributing to the creation of pleasant and comfortable spaces for welcoming customers.
SDGs 4 & 8 – Quality Education & Decent Work and Economic Growth: Human Resources Growth
The company’s educational pillar, Mikel Academy, provides a series of organized training programs and professional seminars for all employees regardless of position. The information and educational material are based on scientific data, as well as on information collected from across its network, focusing on aspects that both improve an employee’s skills and transform a simple customer visit into a pleasant memory. Through the development of these programs, Mikel Academy has created a comprehensive career development plan which has been successfully implemented in Greece and is set to be rolled out throughout the firm’s global network by the end of 2026. Specifically, the plan includes courses per employee level, giving an employee the opportunity to advance from a basic personnel position to a company executive.
SDG 5 – Gender Equality: Promoting Equal Opportunities
Gender equality is a fundamental principle of corporate culture. Equal opportunities for recruitment, development, and 
remuneration are ensured for men and women at all levels, both in Greece and in other countries. Regarding all leadership positions, 52 percent of positions at the store manager level are occupied by women, encouraging the promotion of equal opportunities. Similar rates are recorded in other continents, where no social or legal restrictions apply. At the senior management level, 57 percent of positions are held by women, reinforcing the goal of maintaining gender equality, having the right to make decisions regarding actions related to the company’s strategy.
SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensuring Water Quality
All Mikel stores around the world are equipped with certified water filtration systems, which are regularly maintained by specialized personnel to ensure clean and safe water for customers. During the initial design of a new store, all health protocols regarding the provision of suitable water for human consumption and, at the same time, an effective sewage system for the outflow of water are taken into account. Preventive control, based on ISO 9001 & ISO 22000 management systems, includes sample checks of water and ice, ensuring the effective operation of the filtration systems.
SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Innovative final product storage method
Based on measurements and results from various simulation tests carried out in 2024 under the guidance of the R&D 
Department, Mikel Coffee Company’s production unit succeeded in developing a pioneering process to reduce the time required for coffee to mature into the final product. This method has cut by 60 percent the time that products are required to remain in the warehouse, providing the following three advantages with regard to the company’s operation:
1. Reduction in the energy costs associated with maintaining constant humidity and temperature values in the products’ storage space;
2. Reduction by 45 percent of the product volume that the company must commit to complete degassing; and,
3. Providing a balanced product to customers in a shorter period of time, maintaining the organoleptic and quality characteristics at a level that allows immediate consumption.
These three advantages contribute greatly to the business’ sustainable development, as well as to reducing its environmental footprint and allowing for a more immediate coverage of customer needs, especially during peak periods. As a result of this innovative method, the company won a bronze distinction at the Industrial Production & Manufacturing Awards 2024.
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: Supporting Local Initiatives
Sustainable development is an integral part of Mikel’s corporate culture. For this reason, in the city of Larissa, Mikel Coffee Company’s hometown, the firm adopted the Larissa railway station park in recent years, offering customers the opportunity to visit an excellently designed space to attend a series of activities highlighting environmental sensitivity, circular economy, and Greek culture, as well as other interactive events and activities aimed at the development of skills of our little friends, children.
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: Promoting a Circular Economy
Mikel Coffee Company has been actively participating in the Zero Waste HORECA program for the past two years, a program implemented by the NGO Ecological Recycling Society (ECOREC) and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Having already included more than 20 stores in the platform, which have already been awarded for adopting effective zero waste practices, such as reduction, separation and ecological waste management, the company, by continuing this effort, has incorporated in its strategic plan the inclusion of another 45 stores in the Zero Waste program, completing staff training programs by the end of 2026. The awarding of the Group is a significant recognition, not simply in terms of business practice, but mainly as a confirmation of the company’s environmental responsibility.
In a world where the environmental footprint of catering businesses contributes significantly to the proper management of natural resources and waste production, the adoption of the circular economy and the principles of Zero Waste is a duty, rather than simply a choice. These distinctions prove that Mikel Coffee Company’s approach is aligned with the principles of sustainable development and act as a motivation for ongoing improvement. It is a collective success, reflecting the company’s commitment to a more responsible and ecologically conscious business approach.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Collective Action for Sustainability
To promote sustainable development, we collaborate with public and private bodies, organizations and suppliers in Greece and abroad, exchanging know-how and good practices. The company’s main priority is to inform and encourage the implementation of similar practices to all stakeholders who are considered external factors in Mikel Coffee Company’s sustainable development.
Together towards 2030
At Mikel Coffee Company, sustainability is not merely a responsibility; it is an integral part of our business model. Guided by our care for people, the planet and the well-being of communities, the company is committed to making a positive impact wherever it operates. Every initiative, every action and every strategic choice embody this commitment. Sustainable development is not just a direction; it is the way progress is defined. This fundamental philosophy — a pledge of accountability, consistency, and contribution to the entire community — will be mirrored anywhere the Mikel Coffee Company logo appears.
This article was edited by Mr. Dimitrios Kriembardis, Head of TQM, within the context of his active participation in promoting the principles of sustainable development within Mikel Coffee Company. The article was written on the basis of documented data and corporate practices that align with 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of highlighting the corporate footprint at the social, environmental, and economic levels.
