Coffee shop chain Starbucks Romania estimates it will double its turnover by 2019 compared to the level in 2016, as it plans to double its network from 28 to 60 units.

The company that owns the Starbucks franchise in Romania also plans to hire some 500 people in the next two years, to support the network expansion, according to Mateusz Sielecki, general manager of Starbucks Romania and Bulgaria, reports local News.ro. Some 450 people currently work for the Starbucks network in Romania, up by 50% compared to end-2015.

Polish restaurant and coffee shop operator AmRest Coffee, which bought the Starbucks franchise in Romania and Bulgaria in 2015, opened nine new coffee shops in Romania in 2016. This year, the company plans to open at least two new restaurants and expand to two new cities.

Last year, Starbucks served some 4 million clients in Romania and its revenues were higher compared to 2015, but the company’s representatives haven’t released the figures yet. In 2015, AmRest Coffee had a turnover of some EUR 12.3 million, up by more than 50% compared to 2014.

editor@romania-insider.com