Owners of KFC franchise in Romania set up largest restaurant group in the country

The companies that own the franchises of the KFC, Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery brands in Romania are now grouped in a newly-formed holding called Sphera Franchise Group. The new company is the largest restaurant group in Romania and gathers the brands owned by YUM! Brands in Romania, and KFC in the Republic of Moldova and the north-eastern part of Italy. Up until now, separate companies were managing the operations of KFC Romania, and of Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery Romania. The new holding structure is meant to help manage the brands in its portfolio more efficiently. “Our plan is to have a sustainable growth and a constant development of our brands, proving out long-term commitment to the Romanian market. We are convinced that establishing this new company is a firm validation of these objectives,” said Mark Hilton (pictured), CEO of Sphera Franchise Group. The group has total sales of over EUR 130 million, employs over 4,000 people and is present in some 100 locations. The main shareholders of Sphera Franchise Group are Romanian entrepreneurs Lucian Vlad, Radu Dimofte and Nicolae Badea. The three Romanian entrepreneurs also own the local franchises for the brands Paul, Cinnabon and Hard Rock Café, but these will not be included in the Sphera Franchise Group, Zf.ro reported. There are 63 restaurants under the KFC brand in Romania, in Bucharest and throughout the country, 2 in the Republic of Moldova, and one in Verona, in north-eastern Italy. Under the Pizza Hut brand, 21 restaurants are open in Romania, as well as 12 Pizza Hut Delivery units in Bucharest, and three others in în Brașov, Cluj and Popeşti Leordeni. editor@romania-insider.com