Greece’s food service industry is coming under increasing strain, according to the Panhellenic Federation of Restaurant and Related Professions (POESE), which warned that the latest financial data confirmed the severe pressures facing businesses across the sector.
The federation said the release of first-quarter 2026 figures coincided with the conclusion of its 25th Congress and General Assembly in Tripoli on May 25 and 26, a timing it viewed as symbolic of the difficult environment in which restaurants and catering businesses are now operating.
Data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed that turnover in the food service sector declined by 1.9% compared with the same period last year, despite inflation remaining at 3%. POESE argued that the figures pointed to a continued weakening in real consumer spending and highlighted the growing financial pressure on businesses already struggling with rising costs and shrinking margins.
The federation maintained that the sector had faced years of gradual erosion, claiming that government policies had failed to correct market distortions while exacerbating unfair competition among similar businesses. It also argued that political leaders had remained largely unmoved even as concern deepened throughout the industry.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly heated pre-election climate, marked by the emergence of new political movements and the rebranding of older political forces, POESE accused the government of persisting with policies that risk undermining one of the country’s key productive sectors.
According to the federation, hospitality professionals across Greece were now expressing growing anxiety over the survival of their businesses and employees, warning that the broader economic impact could extend to employment, entrepreneurship and tourism — all areas in which the food service industry plays a central role.
POESE ultimately called on both the government and political parties to present a clear strategy for the sector, insisting that businesses were seeking practical solutions and political honesty rather than what it described as empty promises and the repetition of past mistakes.
