5 to go: The Romanian giant opens its first coffee shops in Bulgaria
The largest chain of cafes in Romania is implementing its strategy to expand abroad
Photo: 5 to go/ Facebook
~ 2 min read
Aleksandra Sotirova-Delcheva The popular Romanian coffee shop chain 5 to go has entered the Bulgarian market. Following a serious expansion in Romania, where the company launched in 2015, the chain is now ready for future growth.
As part of its goal to open more than 150 locations this year, 5 to go wants to expand internationally and has agreements in place to open two cafes in Bulgaria this year, Worldcoffeeportal reports. There are no details about where the locations will be, but most likely the first coffee shops will open in Sofia. They will offer coffee, cold drinks, coffee beans and other coffee products, such as capsules.
The value-focused coffee chain accelerated local store growth in the first quarter of 2024, opening 40 new locations and reaching 550 sites in 120 Romanian cities.
The international presence of 5 to go currently includes four cafes in Hungary. The chain has two more locations opening in Budapest this month, planning to reach 10 shops in Hungary by the end of the year.
In October 2023, 5 to go announced its intention to open a store in Bratislava in early 2024. Currently, it remains in negotiations for a debut location in Slovakia.
It is one of the largest Romanian coffee chains. Its history began in 2015 after which its founder, Radu Savopol, quickly managed to develop the concept.
The “Coffee Spot” concept of 5 to go arose from a desire to capitalize on small commercial spaces. It consists of a modular island or spaces under 10 square meters with modern urban design elements and a Scandinavian style.
The chain also features another type of stores called PLUS, which were unveiled at the end of 2018. These are extended spaces between 50 and 100 square meters that also have seats for customers.
The Bucharest-based 5 to go achieved sales growth of 55% year-on-year in the first six months of 2023, reaching 20 million euros, 5% more than forecast. The turnover of the coffee chain exceeded 25 million euros in August 2023.
Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
