Turabo cafe chain, the largest on the local market, is to open a coffee processing factory this year, according to the company’s General Manager, Tudor Niculescu, for Business Standard. The investment will be made with the company’s own and European funds, and is set to be launched this May. „The factory will be located within 200 kilometers of Bucharest, depending on the areas to which European investments can be attracted,“ he said. In an optimistic scenario, the Turabo coffee brand will be available in the cafe chain by the end of the year. „I have planned this project for some time now, and we made the final decision to launch it on February 12,“ Niculescu added. He is currently working with two teams of specialists. The first one is handling the project, feasibility studies, and equipment, while the second is in charge of drafting the coffee concept and looking for markets from which to import raw materials. „The coffee will be distributed in our cafe chain, and will be based on our consumers’ demand, Niculescu said. By the end of 2008, the Turabo chain had 38 units. Five units have been opened in 2009 and a further seven are set to be operational by the end of the year.
The Turabo group also includes the Turabo Grand Ballroom and Turabo Royal Ballroom event centers, and the Turabo Society Club. The company posted €12 million worth of business in 2008. For this year, Niculescu estimates turnover worth €14–15 million.