Dulcinella, a Romanian network of confectionery and pastry shops with Bessarabian roots, aims to increase the number of locations by 80%, from 20 to 100, by the end of 2026.

Of these, 80% will be created through franchising or operation, two types of partnerships defining Dulcinella Group's strategy in the coming years, it said. By the end of 2025, 60% of the network's turnover will represent revenues from franchised or operating locations.

The network aims to open 30 new pastry shops by the end of 2025, bringing the Dulcinella Group's total to 50.

Operating and franchising Dulcinella locations are steps towards the company's long-term goal of reaching a turnover of EUR 100 million annually in the next five to seven years.

"According to the strategy on which we laid the foundation of our business two years ago, the moment in our development plan has come to no longer operate locations because we are manufacturers and our focus is to produce more and better. In addition, I know a lot of talented corporate people who have been or are, for example, in top management, who have leadership skills, who can build and lead a team, who know what a strategy is, who know how to make a business successful, but they don't have the money to invest. Or they may have the money to invest, but are not willing to risk building a business from scratch," Sergiu Diaconu, CEO of Dulcinella Group, explains.

Entrepreneurs who choose one of the two forms of partnership can buy products exclusively from Dulcinella. To operate one of its locations, Dulcinella is making its existing space and equipment available, in exchange for a guarantee of EUR 15,000 paid in advance. In this type of partnership, the operator will receive a percentage of sales.

For the franchise, the entrepreneur will pay a franchise fee of EUR 10,000 and bear the costs of opening the location, between EUR 80,000 and EUR 120,000. The franchise is a partnership also designed for Romanians living abroad, in those countries where Dulcinella already exports products, the company said.

(Photo: the company)

simona@romania-insider.com