The figures put it among the ten largest restaurants and coffee shops in the country, which has Caru’ cu Bere, McDonald’s Dristor (SE Bucharest) and the Ikea restaurant on the top positions, each of which generating EUR5 million to EUR6 million sales a year.
Hard Rock Cafe arrived in Romania as a franchise introduced by Midi Development in 2008, the last year of economic boom. Its customers are usually above-average income people, less affected by the economic crisis and the consumer-spending decline after 2009.
The Finance Ministry data show 2012 was its best year in Romania, when it posted 12% profit margin. Despite such results, Mark Hilton, the chief executive officer of the group that includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Paul, Cinnabon and Hard Rock Cafe said a few months ago that a new Hard Rock Cafe was not being considered but “never say never”.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)