Increasing number of clients in restaurants but lower bills

Restaurants and cafes continue to attract clients. Their number is actually 5% higher compared to the similar period last year, but bills decreased by 10%.

Dragos Petrescu, owner of City Grill restaurant chain, stated that in the first quarter of 2009, the company registered revenues of EUR 2.8 mil., dropping 5% in EUR monetary terms, but 10% higher in RON, the Romanian currency, compared to the same period in 2008. 

A client spends on average EUR 13.5 in a City Grill restaurant, compared to EUR 15 last year.

The strategy of the restaurants’ owner is to maintain last year menu prices. Moreover, the company's marketing calendar of 2009 includes a new “value” type campaign to be launched every quarter, cutting prices down to 35%, in order to increase the clients portfolio, the main target of the strategy of the group to face crisis.

Trotter Prim company registered last year EUR 14 mil. turnover. This year development is mainly based on network expansion.

Trotter Prim representative stated that Bundetot fast food opened in Iris Mall Titan, within the group brands – City Grill, Buongiorno, Bundetot and City Cafe. For this year, the company planned other four openings, in locations with very low rents and also key locations.

Trotter Restaurant company, managed by Catalin Mahu, owner of La Mama and Cafepedia cafes, registered revenues of approximately EUR 2 mil., out of which 85% were generated by La Mama. In 2009, the sales are estimated to reach EUR 10 mil.

Fast-food restaurants are the least affected by consumption slowdown and count on the same strategy, both regarding marketing as well as development.

In the first three months of 2009, McDonald’s, which had 54 restaurants, registered a turnover of EUR 22 mil. At present, the chain has approximately 60 units.

The market players foresee a decrease of the market but the reduction will not be a result of the decreasing number of clients but of the lower amounts spent by the same clients in restaurants.

Sursa: Business Standard [16.04.2009], Ziarul Financiar [16.04.2009]