American restaurant franchise Pizza Hut will focus more on home deliveries, which is an important part of its development strategy in Romania, according to the company’s representatives. In December this year, Pizza Hut marks 20 years since entering the Romanian market.

The company will increase its focus on home delivery services, as Romanians are busier and many prefer to have their pizza delivered at home. The company currently has eight delivery units in Bucharest and one in Cluj-Napoca.

“We could reach 40 home delivery restaurants in Romania, although we have no timeframe for when this thing will happen. These delivery points are an easier way to get into smaller cities,” Hilton explained.

Yet, in spite of this growing trend for home delivery, Hilton says that Pizza Hut dining restaurants have a loyal customer base and that most people return to their restaurants for the food, as well as for the service. “One of the criteria that Yum brands (the parent group of Pizza Hut – e.n.) evaluates us on is the satisfaction of mystery shoppers, and our restaurants always come among the top in Pizza Hut’s international network.”

The chain opened its first restaurant in Romania in December 1994, at the ground floor of Howard Johnson hotel, in Romana Square. Today, Pizza Hut has 14 restaurants in Romania, eight of them in Bucharest and the rest in Ploiesti, Timisoara, Iasi, Constanta and Cluj-Napoca. The restaurant in Romana square is among the best of Pizza Hut’s local network, in terms of revenues.

The company that holds the franchise in Romania, American Restaurant System, had EUR 27.7 million in sales, in 2013, and 600 employees. American Restaurant System is controlled by local businessman Gabriel Popoviciu.

“The Pizza Hut story in Romania started with a restaurant in Bucharest. Today we are serving over 3 million clients and selling more than one million pizzas each year in our whole network,” said Mark Hilton, CEO of Pizza Hut Romania. He added that the company will continue to develop its business in Romania and next year will open another restaurant in Bucharest.

Andrei Chirileasa, andrei@romania-insider.com