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Wendy's Marks First Year in Romanian Market with Major Infrastructure Investments and Job Creation

It has been one year since the first Wendy’s in Romania opened its doors. In its first year of operations, the brand has opened six restaurants across three cities , created more than 100 jobs , and continues to grow and invest in the country. Operated by Wendy’s franchise organization JKC Restaurants Romania, a subsidiary of JKC Capital, the Romanian company is committed to investing over $200 million and creating approximately 1,500 jobs in Romania over the next decade. Six Wendy’s restaurants have opened nationally: AFI Cotroceni (Bucharest), Mega Mall (Bucharest), Moldova Mall (Iasi), Ploiesti Shopping City (Ploiesti), Promenada (Bucharest), and Veranda (Bucharest). 6 RESTAURANTS IN 3 CITIES 100+ JOBS CREATED €8M INVESTED IN YEAR ONE MARKET CONTEXT Romania’s foodservice industry is projected to grow to €8.9 billion by 2028, according to ReportLinker . Within this landscape, the QSR category has been one of the fastest-growing segments, driven by urbanization, expanding modern retail infrastructure, and the rising purchasing power of younger demographics. Consumer appetite for fast-food in Romania is among the highest in the region. According to a nationally representative study by MKOR Consulting (February 2025) , 94% of Romanians consume fast food , with 33% eating fast food at least once a week and 39% several times a month. Younger consumers under age 27 lead the category at an average of 1.3 visits per week, making Romania’s Gen Z among the most active QSR consumers in CEE. Wendy’s was the only major international QSR brand to enter the Romanian market in 2025, positioning itself as the primary new challenger brand in the burger segment. FIRST-YEAR OPERATIONS In the first year of operations, Wendy’s Romania has served more than 500,000 burgers , including a cumulative 16 tons of fresh Romanian beef , each patty cooked fresh and made-to-order. Rather than importing its core supply chain, Wendy’s Romania built local sourcing partnerships from day one, reaching over 80% domestic procurement within the first year. Fresh beef, sourced from Romanian suppliers, is the foundation of a supply chain model designed for transparency and local economic impact. Beyond its restaurant footprint, Wendy’s Romania has extended its reach through a delivery partnership with Glovo , achieving a 96% positive customer feedback rate , a signal of product consistency and service quality maintained beyond the in-restaurant experience to meet the demands of the digital-first consumer. PRODUCT STRATEGY At the core of Wendy’s performance are its iconic menu items, like the Baconator and Classic Double, now established as top sellers in Romania. Year one also marked a strategic milestone: the launch of the Gold Collection , a menu platform developed locally, tailored to local taste expectations. Created to include indulgent flavors and strong visual appeal, the Gold Collection menu proves that quality and affordability are not mutually exclusive. This new menu also demonstrates that Wendy’s can deliver a premium experience at accessible price points, without compromising on quality. DISRUPTION ON THE PLATE AND BEYOND IT If one word defines Wendy’s first year in Romania, it is disruption. In a market shaped by habit and dominated by legacy players, Wendy’s entered with a structurally different proposition: fresh, never frozen beef; made-to-order meals; and a brand voice that speaks the language of today’s consumer, not yesterday’s category conventions. That disruption extended well beyond the menu. Wendy’s Romania rewrote the local QSR communication playbook with a marketing model built on cultural participation rather than conventional promotion. Where incumbents relied on price-driven campaigns and media buying, Wendy’s chose to earn attention, through bold, experience-led activations, event-driven engagement, and digital content designed for shareability, not just reach. The brand brought Wendy’s globally renowned brand voice into the Romanian market, adapting it with cultural fluency rather than simply translating it. From inserting itself into Romania’s most iconic food rituals with wit and confidence, to reaching youth communities through K-pop events and culturally relevant digital moments, Wendy’s Romania built a brand that people wanted to participate in, not just consume. Campaigns were designed as cultural entry points: moments that generated real-world conversation, social currency, and organic amplification. The result is a brand that, in 12 months, has built a communications identity distinct from every other player in the Romanian QSR market, one defined by freshness of voice as much as freshness of product. “Romania was our proof point that quality at scale is not a trade-off. In twelve months, we activated a predominantly local supply chain, opened six Wendy’s restaurants, and established repeat customer behavior in a crowded market. That is not early traction, it is operational validation . What matters now is discipline: reinforcing every system, every partner, every operational detail, so that our next phase of growth is consistent, stronger, and remains built to last.” Kathryn Chayka CEO, JKC Restaurants OUTLOOK In year two, Wendy’s Romania will focus on strengthening what has been built, optimizing restaurant performance across all six locations, and deepening the systems and processes required to scale sustainably. This phase is designed to ensure that the brand’s growth trajectory is built on operational excellence, not speed alone, laying the groundwork for the broader expansion outlined in JKC Capital’s investment plan for Romania. ABOUT WENDY’S The Wendy’s Company and Wendy’s franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide, with more than 1,300 of these located outside of the United States. Founded in 1969, Wendy’s is committed to the promise of “ Fresh Famous Food, Made Right, For You” , delivered to customers through its craveable menu including made-to-order square hamburgers using fresh beef*, and fan favorites like the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and nuggets, Baconator, and the Frosty dessert. Learn more at www.wendys.com . For details on franchising, visit www.wendys.com/franchising/international . *Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the UK, and other select international markets.