IWD ANDREA: ALIMENTARY EATERY
This International Women's Day, Paradox Coffee Roasters is celebrating the incredible women we are proud to partner with across our coffee community, from café owners and operators to the dedicated women serving their communities through The Salvation Army.
At Paradox, coffee has always been about people, and today we’re shining a light on the women who lead, inspire, and power many of the spaces where our coffee is shared. They are the leaders, creators, and community builders who bring coffee culture to life every day, and we are incredibly proud to work alongside you. You are truly special to our community.
Andrea Aranibar Milky is the co-owner of Alimentary Eatery and The Alchemists Kitchen with her husband. Coming from a South American background and previously working in the airline industry, Andrea brings warmth, resilience, and a passion for hospitality to everything she does. Her spaces are built on connection, community, and the feeling of welcoming people into her home, blending food, coffee, and culture into every guest experience.
Get to know Andrea a little more below in our chat.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us where you work?
I’m Andrea Aranibar Milky, 36 years old, and I co-own Alimentary Eatery and The Alchemists Kitchen with my husband.
What inspired you to start working in coffee or hospitality?
Coming from the airline industry, the one person who inspired me to get into hospitality is my husband, Deeb. He comes from a long background in hospitality, lives and breathes it, and now I do because we do everything together.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day is the one official day of the year when every woman around the world, from all walks of life, is celebrated simply for being a woman. In a very male-dominated and driven world, I feel it’s important that this day exists to honour all women - the founders, the owners, the mothers, and all the young girls with bright futures ahead of them.
Who has inspired or supported you most in your life or career?
The one person who has supported me no matter what and inspired me in every aspect of growing and living is my mama. She is the hardest working woman I know. She raised a family of four children, worked full time, kept the house in check full time, and we went without nothing even when she had nothing.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
My favourite part of being in hospitality is 100 percent the hospitality itself. Being in the café or restaurant has a direct correlation to welcoming people into my home. These shops are my home, and I want all of my customers to feel warm and welcomed. Coming from a South American background, food and music always brought our family and friends together, and it’s the creation of that feeling of “welcoming people home” that I love the most.
What’s something you’ve learned along your journey so far?
The most important lesson I’ve learnt in the hospitality game is that resilience is key. The strength I’ve shown over the last five years building and growing the businesses has been enormous, and I’m proud of that. Like with anything in life, you will have the good, the bad, and the ugly, and the ability to recover from it all is what makes all the difference. Alongside resilience, gratitude has been crucial. Gratitude for all the success I’ve achieved in business and for all the lessons I’ve learnt along the way. Living in gratitude has helped my mentality in day-to-day life hugely.
What advice would you give to other women starting out in the industry?
Give it a go. You’re either going to fail or succeed—there is no in-between. If you fail, you gave it a shot and will learn lifelong lessons that will help you when you try again. If you succeed, that in itself says it all. You gave it a go and you won. Believe in yourself and your ideas. The intuition that women possess is wild. Trust your intuition, believe in yourself, and give it a go. This mentality applies to women in any industry.