ROMANIA- The largest fast food chain in Finland, Hesburger, has launched a new restaurant in Brăila as part of its expansion strategy.
The new restaurant measures 70 square meters and is located in the Brăila Mall food court. It required an initial investment of €350,000 (US$387,650).
It will be Hesburger’s third outlet in Romania. The QSR chain entered the Romanian market in early 2024 with a location in Râmnicu Vâlcea and another at Henri Coandă Airport in Otopeni, which opened in early August.
The company has also revealed plans to open a new outlet in Bucharest’s AFI Cotroceni.
The new restaurants are a reflection of Hesburger’s aggressive expansion strategy in Romania. The chain had revealed plans of opening 10 locations in the Southeastern European country before autumn 2025, which will require an €8 million (US$8.8 million) investment.
The chain highlighted the potential of the Romanian market as the reason behind this aggressive expansion strategy.
According to market analytics firm Medium, the Romanian QSR market is currently valued at US$6.3 billion and is expected to grow at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16% from 2024 to 2029.
The QSR chain welcomed the new outlet, reiterating it intends to prioritize offering quality services to customers in the country.
Ieva Salmela, Hesburger’s International Development and Marketing Director, said, “With three already active locations in Romania and a fourth very soon to be opened, we see a firm potential of continuous growth and already see a strong start for our operations here.”
“Our strategy continues to be highly focused on both providing a unique experience to our already loyal customers in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Brăila and Bucharest and a continuous expansion in various cities in Romania over the next 12 months.”
The company’s menu offerings are recognized for their distinct taste and quality, based on Hesburger sauces created using original recipes.
Hesburger was founded in 1966 by Heikki Salmela with a single outlet in Naantali. It has since grown to a family business with 274 locations in Finland, 51 in Latvia, two in Germany, 61 in Lithuania, 31 in Bulgaria, 52 in Estonia, seven in Ukraine and one in Poland.
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