The Polish group Rex Concepts CEE, the franchisee of the Burger King and Popeyes brands, continues its accelerated expansion strategy on the Romanian market, backed by a EUR 40 million investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Both fast-food chains have announced recent openings and long-term development plans, aiming to strengthen their presence in both major cities and regional communities.
Burger King, which is celebrating its 6th anniversary on the local market, recently opened a restaurant in Ploiești, bringing its national network to over 40 units. The company has experienced rapid growth in the last three years, during which it has opened more than 30 restaurants. Plans for 2025 include the opening of 12-15 new locations, with a target of 50 restaurants. The expansion of the network also includes Drive-Thru locations, with the first Drive-Thru in Bucharest opening in Militari Fashion House. The operational management of both brands is coordinated, since October, by Raluca Lupu, Head of Operations Burger King & Popeyes Romania.
In parallel, the Popeyes chain, which entered the local market in 2022, has reached a total of 16 restaurants and announced three new openings: the first unit in Oradea and the second location in Iași and Constanța, respectively. The Popeyes network currently counts seven restaurants in Bucharest and one each in cities such as Pitești, Craiova, Buzău, Ploiești, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu. The company’s long-term plan aims to open more than 80 restaurants in Romania by 2033, and from 2025, the expansion strategy will also focus on Drive-Thru locations. Originally operated through Sterling Cruise, the Popeyes brand is currently managed by Rex Concepts.
The development of both brands in Romania is part of a broader regional strategy by Polish investment firm McWin, which operates through its Rex Concepts CEE platform. McWin owns the main franchise for Burger King and Popeyes in Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic, with the aim of opening 600 restaurants in these markets over the next 10 years. To support this expansion, the EBRD has announced an investment of €40 million in Rex Concepts, in return for a 16.7% stake in the company. McWin is headed by Henry McGovern, founder of AmRest, the operator that relaunched Burger King on the Romanian market.