After sales of EUR 8.6 million in 2014, Romanian healthy food restaurant chain Salad Box expects an even higher turnover this year, of EUR 14 million. This would represent a 62% increase in turnover.

In just three years, Salad Box reached a network of 40 restaurants located in 20 cities in Romania, and also expanded aboard with four units in Hungary and one in Germany. At present, the Salad Box fast food chain is the third largest such network in Romania, based on size. The chain's CEO and founder Dan Isai estimates a potential for 60 units.

Salad Box’s fast increase was supported by the shareholders’ own funds and by the reinvested profit.

“We’ve reinvested all the profits. Now I rent with my wife and two daughters, we don’t have a house with a pool, because we’ve reinvested everything,” Dan Isai, the CEO of Salad Box, told EY, which recently named him Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year – Romania 2015.

Besides increasing its sales every year, Salad Box also grew the number of employees and it currently hires 400 people.

The restaurants’ menu varies from salads to crème soups, deserts and fresh juices. The client can choose from more than 40 ingredients to create his salad.

Dan Isai started the business in 2012.  In the following year, he developed a franchise system. In 2014, Salad Box started the expansion abroad.

“We want to maintain our leading position in healthy eating, which means introducing new products regularly. The business system we’ve chosen (under franchise) allows for a rapid implementation of changes in every Salad Box restaurant, regardless of their nature,” Dan Isai said.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com