“Fornetti Group’s strategy entails expansion of the brand to European countries, especially those in the central-eastern region. We have 702 franchised stores in Romania, 118 of which opened in 2017. We plan to open another 80 in 2018,” Toth Csaba, general manager of Fornetti Romania, told ZF.
Fornetti Romania SRL, which manages the pastry shop chain posted 180 million lei (EUR40 million) revenue last year and expects revenue to go up to RON190 million in 2018.
The company went through difficult times in 2011-2015, when it was insolvent. It was acquired by Aryzta AG Global Bakery Group, one of the biggest frozen pastry makers worldwide, in 2015. Aryzta officials said at the time of the takeover they sought to expand the business from a regional to a European one.
The company expanded the product range by introducing bakery products in 2016, which are made in the same plant in Timisoara as the pastry.
“Traditional pastry products sold by piece or by kilogram account for most of our production, but we also have a developed bakery segment as of 2016.”
Bakery products are usually sold via various retailers and also go to the franchisees’ stores if they decide to stock them, Toth Csaba said.
Fornetti is the leader of the pastry and pretzel shops market in Romania, accounting for 6% of it, according to Euromonitor data. The company started remodeling its franchised stores, a process that will be completed at the end of the year. About 60% of its stores have gone through it so far.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)