SaladBox’s expansion continues in Romania and abroad, with restaurants to be opened in Algeria and the US, as well as on its home market, in Deva, Piatra Neamt, Brasov and Bucharest. The chain, which consists of both restaurants owned by the founders and by franchisees, has already opened a restaurant in Algeria and wants to inaugurate two more there by the end of the year.
“We want to end 2016 with locations opened on three continents. After Europe and Africa, America is next. Although competitive, the US market is a big market where we think we, too, have our chance,” Dan Isai, chief executive officer and one of the founders of the SaladBox chain, told ZF.
“We have signed [the contract] for the first locations to be opened in Miami, Florida and have completed the training with the partner who will operate them.”
SaladBox is the third largest quick service restaurant in Romania by number of restaurants, after McDonald’s and KFC. Franchisees operate about 70% of the SaladBoxes, according to the latest data available. SaladBox serves salads, cream soups, fresh juices and lemonades. The chain posted EUR14 million sales in 2015, and Dan Isai has previously said he expects them to reach EUR20 million to EUR22 million in 2016.
SaladBox founders plan to strengthen operations in Hungary and open five more locations to end the year with ten restaurants. It is also looking at Western Europe.
It also plans to add new restaurant concepts and even cafés. It will inaugurate the first Pep&Pepper restaurant in the Baneasa Shopping City in Bucharest today, a place where customers can see the food being cooked in front of them.
“We constantly study the Romanian market and try to know and understand consumers’ needs better. As such, we found new opportunities to develop concepts in Romania.”
Another concept to be inaugurated this fall is Narcoffee Roasters and the first cafes under this brand will open in Cluj. The company will later expand this brand in the country and abroad.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)