“First, we target emerging countries such as Moldova and Bulgaria, since they are relatively close to Romania and the markets are rather similar. I will start with one restaurant in each of these countries,” Petrescu told Business Standard. Trotter Prim posted €5.2 million in net sales in the first half of 2007, a 58 percent year-on-year increase, according to Petrescu, who estimates some €11 mln worth of net sales in 2007. The owner of Trotter Prim said this evolution was due to the re-launch of Caru cu Bere, one of the most famous restaurants in Bucharest, in the last quarter of 2006 and the level of maturity reached by the existing restaurants. Caru cu Bere makes up for about one quarter of the group’s net sales.
Trotter Prim is currently operating nine City Grill restaurants and intends to open two more by the end of this year and a further four in 2008. Investments budgeted for 2007 amount to €3.4 mln, with €1.8 mln destined for restaurant renovations. Petrescu recently announced his intention to invest in hotel projects and in developing several investments and partnerships by 2010, to reach 500 hotel rooms under the City Grill brand. The company’s first project is a hotel in the mountain resort of Predeal . The company will build small-sized hotels but will also run under its own brand units or pensions already on the market.
City Grill’s main competitors in Bucharest are the La Mama restaurant chain, the Trattoria Il Calcio and Ruby Tuesday restaurants, while City Cafe is competing with Turabo Cafe, Gloria Jean’s, and Centro.
“First, we target emerging countries such as Moldova and Bulgaria, since they are relatively close to Romania and the markets are rather similar. I will start with one restaurant in each of these countries Dragos Petrescu owner, Trotter Prim
