Business Forum • 22 May, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Sphera Franchise Group, Romania's largest food service group, reported consolidated sales of €75.6 million in Q1 2026, up 4.2% compared to the same period last year. Growth was driven by the return to positive performance of KFC Romania and the strong evolution of Taco Bell.
The group's normalised Ebitda reached €4.8 million, down 3% compared to Q1 2025, while normalised net profit amounted to €1.1 million. Profitability was impacted by higher operating expenses, increased labour and rental costs, and the operational ramp-up phase of newly opened restaurants.
"In the first quarter of this year, we continued to grow despite operating in a market that remains far more selective than in previous years. We see consumers being more cautious with spending, operational costs still elevated, and widening differences between concepts that manage to generate traffic and those that require recalibration," said Călin Ionescu, CEO of Sphera Franchise Group.
Romania reconfirmed its position as the group's growth engine in Q1 2026, with sales of €65.2 million, up 4.8% year-on-year and contributing 86.3% of consolidated sales. Italy generated €9.1 million, up 2.0% year-on-year, while the Republic of Moldova reached €1.2 million.
Taco Bell recorded the highest growth rate in the portfolio, with revenues up 12.2%, reaching €5.4 million. KFC generated sales of €64.9 million, up 4.2% year-on-year. Pizza Hut reported revenues of €5.3 million, down 3.2% versus Q1 2025, reflecting operational efficiency measures aimed at improving long-term profitability.