Sphera Franchise Group, the largest food service operator in Romania, reported its strongest third quarter in company history in terms of sales, confirming the resilience of its business model in a challenging economic environment. The performance was supported by cost-control initiatives and stronger contributions from Italy and the Republic of Moldova.

Consolidated Q3 2025 sales reached 405.9 million lei, up 6.1% versus the previous quarter and slightly above Q3 2024. Cost pressures, particularly rising labor expenses, continued to weigh on margins, but the measures implemented throughout the year helped significantly improve profitability in the third quarter. Operating profit in restaurants increased to 46.4 million lei, up 71.4% versus Q2, while EBITDA reached 43.6 million lei, advancing 65.5% quarter-on-quarter. Normalized net profit reached 25.1 million lei.

In terms of markets, Romania generated 346.6 million lei in Q3, remaining stable year-on-year. Italy contributed 52.2 million lei, up 3.3%, while the Republic of Moldova recorded strong growth with 7.1 million lei, an increase of 24.8% versus 2024. The revenue mix shifted slightly, with Italy and Moldova gaining more weight: Romania accounted for 85.4%, Italy 12.9% and Moldova 1.7%.

KFC remained the Group’s main revenue driver with 352.9 million lei (+0.1% YoY), representing 86.9% of total sales. Taco Bell continued to be the fastest-growing brand, increasing by 13% YoY to 27.2 million lei, while Pizza Hut saw sales decline to 25.3 million lei (-5.9% YoY). The first Cioccolatitaliani restaurant in Italy reported sales of 494 thousand lei.

“Q3 confirms that our business is back on a positive trajectory and once again demonstrates the Group’s ability to adapt and perform during challenging economic periods. After a first half impacted by inflationary pressures, we managed to improve profitability through rigorous cost management and strategic measures that are already delivering visible results. EBITDA and operating profit have increased significantly compared to previous quarters, reflecting the strength of our business model and our financial discipline,” stated Valentin Budeș, CFO of Sphera Franchise Group.

For the first nine months of 2025, total sales reached 1.151 billion lei, up 0.7% YoY. Normalized EBITDA amounted to 96.2 million lei, while normalized net profit reached 42.8 million lei, influenced by high operating costs and stagnant sales in Romania. The Group continues to prioritise efficiency, network expansion, and portfolio diversification, including the integration of Cioccolatitaliani and Hard Rock Cafe. In October, two new units were opened: a Taco Bell restaurant in Promenada Mall Bucharest, and a KFC Drive-Thru in Udine, Italy.