The restaurant in Bucharest’s Victory Square, the first unit inaugurated by Subway on the local market, is among the units closed by the company.
The restructuring of the Subway store chain occurs in times of pandemic, when the hospitality industry was shut down for several months or faced restrictions. By comparison, in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany or the Unites States of America, the Subway store chain shrank significantly during the period May 2019-May 2021.
Subway entered the Romanian market almost nine years ago, with a restaurant in capital Bucharest, reached a total 34 units at present. Company officials had announced more aggressive expansion plans, targeting 40 units over a four-year period.
Globally, the company has more than 40,000 units, most of which in the United States, its home market.
Subway’s competitors include McDonaldís and KFC, as well as local brands such as Spartan.