Sphera Franchise Group to open five Hard Rock Cafe restaurants in Romania, Moldova starting 2026

Foodservice operator Sphera Franchise Group announced plans to open five new Hard Rock Cafe restaurants across Romania and the Republic of Moldova over the next five years, beginning in 2026. The new locations will be launched in Brașov, Timișoara, Iași, Cluj, and Chișinău.

The group has acquired the franchise rights from Hard Rock International and will manage the expansion through a newly established subsidiary, HRC Restaurants SRL, wholly owned by Sphera Franchise Group.

“This partnership marks another milestone in our diversification strategy. By adding Hard Rock Cafe to our portfolio, we expand into lifestyle and entertainment dining, reinforcing our mission to offer iconic global experiences to consumers in our region,” said Călin Ionescu, CEO of Sphera Franchise Group.

Hard Rock Cafe, renowned for combining American dining with music memorabilia, has operated in Romania since 2008 through its flagship location in Bucharest’s Herăstrău Park.

Sphera Franchise Group’s partnership with Hard Rock follows its recent introduction of the Italian dessert brand Cioccolatitaliani, which opened its first unit in Italy earlier this year.

Sphera Franchise Group operates more than 175 restaurants under brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell across Romania, Moldova, and Italy. Listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange since 2017 under the symbol SFG, it remains the only HoReCa company included in Romania’s main BET index and the MSCI Frontier Markets index.

(Photo source:Gerald T. Coli/Dreamstime.com)