Years of refining craft behind the bar culminate on the national stage, setting the tone and advancing female recognition in coffee.
From Our
Founder
I am grateful to have had so many opportunities to grow in coffee over the years. From being a barista, to a manager, to a shop owner, I've won barista competitions, experienced successes and failures, had kids, and done all sorts of things. It's not always easy as a woman...
From Our
Founder
I am grateful to have had so many opportunities to grow in coffee over the years. From being a barista, to a manager, to a shop owner, I've won barista competitions, experienced successes and failures, had kids, and done all sorts of things. It's not always easy as a woman...
I've been second-guessed, viewed as not an expert, not had my opinion heard or respected, and all manner of interesting situations in business and in the industry over the years. I view this as part of my experience — part of what has made me the professional I am, and also what challenges me to continue to be excellent. And what I have experienced still doesn't compare with what some women experience in coffee-producing countries. In 2023, I got to go to Honduras for the "Let's Talk Coffee" conference, which aims to get buyers and producers in the same room to have conversations. Over and over, women came to me and asked, "How do we get our coffees out there? How do we market them with our names on them? How do we prove our coffees are great?" These conversations really moved me. Women in coffee-producing countries have limited options. I felt like I should do something. As we grow in the industry, it's our responsibility to make way for more women to come along with us.
This is how the Doyenne coffee project was born. It was challenging to source coffee for Doyenne because a lot of the coffees were being homogenized into more generic lots at cooperatives or associations. It took a couple years to really establish what we were looking for, gain trust from women, and also prove that the model would actually work. Part of sustainable trading is creating a business line that will continue to support those producers over time. The term "Doyenne" means a woman who is performing at the top of her field. I have never in my career wanted to achieve simply based on who I am — I want to be successful based on excellence, skill, and determination. I want the same for the coffees in the Doyenne program. The program has grown. People believe in what we are doing, and the quality in the cup stands up to the name. Where we spend our money matters. We're investing in the future every time we buy something. For me, Doyenne growth means the future of female coffee producers gets a little brighter every time we send out another bag of coffee. Changing the landscape of coffee is a tall ask, but I believe we can do it. Thank you for supporting Doyenne.
The Story Behind
Doyenne is a female-led specialty coffee brand inspired by the women who shape the way we experience coffee every day—from the people who grow and produce it to the women building businesses, creating culture, gathering communities, and bringing their own perspective to the cup.
Our name comes from doyenne: a woman respected for her experience, influence, and mastery of her craft. It's a word that captures something we see all around us: women doing exceptional work, leading with confidence, and setting the standard in ways both visible and quietly influential.
Founded by Andrea Allen, Doyenne is our way of celebrating that spirit through coffee. We feature exceptional female-produced coffees and honor the work being done from farm to cup. It's about recognizing the space women hold, the work they do, and the taste, knowledge, and perspective they bring to the table.
Doyenne is a celebration of women who know their craft, as well as the incredible coffees that we get to enjoy as a result.
Our History
After another full year of refinement and dedication, she did it again at the 25th annual World Barista Championship in Milan.
A trip to a conference in Honduras ends in a commitment to shift the paradigm in coffee for good. Doyenne was born and we got to work.
Doyenne launches a single-origin rotating subscription as an Onyx sub-brand concept. The program was immediately successful and proved the world was ready for change.
The opening of the Doyenne Cafe marked a new chapter in our story. Its a space created for connection, creativity and community.
Exceptional female-produced coffees become easier to find, carried by retail partners across the country.
A major milestone in Doyenne’s growth came with the expansion of our product assortment and our move into mass retail. With new SKUs on shelves and a broader retail presence, Doyenne set out to reach more customers than ever before.
Our Roasting
Partner
Every Doyenne coffee is roasted by Onyx Coffee Lab, an independent specialty coffee roaster known for pushing the industry forward through exceptional sourcing, precise roasting, and an uncompromising approach to quality.
Since its founding in Arkansas in 2012, Onyx has become one of the most recognized names in specialty coffee. Its team has earned national championships across barista, brewing, and roasting competitions, along with recognition on the world stage.
Onyx's approach begins long before a coffee reaches the roastery. Onyx builds relationships with producers across coffee-growing regions around the world, evaluates coffees throughout their journey, and has made transparency a defining part of its sourcing model. Once a coffee arrives at the roastery, the team develops and continually refines individual roast profiles, samples every production roast, and cups coffees for quality control with the goal of letting the character of the coffee speak for itself.
That level of care matters to Doyenne. We choose coffees because of the people, craft, and perspective behind them; Onyx gives us a roasting partner with the technical experience to honor what made those coffees remarkable in the first place.
It's an intentionally collaborative relationship. Doyenne leads the curation, perspective, and stories we choose to celebrate. Onyx brings world-class roasting expertise to the cup. Together, we can give exceptional coffees—and the women behind them—the attention they deserve.