BUCHAREST, Romania – The evolution of the romanian brand 5 to go has materialized in a well-deserved 10th place in the European top of coffee chains in 2021, according to the annual ranking developed by Food Service, Europe & Middle East, launched this month. 5 to go registers the second most spectacular growth in Europe in the absolute number of open locations, with 107 new coffee shops opened in one year, an increase of 44.6% compared to the previous year when it ranked 12th.
The romanian brand 5 to go
This evolution is reflected in holding a market share of 48.7% in the coffee chain segment in Romania for the year 2021. In 2022 also, the pace of sustained growth was maintained, surpassing the threshold of 400 units nationally, with an average of 16 new coffee shops opening every month. The forecasts are for a turnover at the group level of 24 million euros for 2022, almost double compared to last year and almost 4 times higher than the value in 2020.
Radu Savopol, co-founder of 5 to go: “5 to go started in 2015, with the vision of a day when all Romanians will drink quality coffee, at a fair price. So far, over 5 million Romanians have had at least one 5 to go coffee, which brings us close to this moment. The results achieved so far put us in a winning position, but we are now heading towards a marathon, which requires a sustained pace over the next 5 years to help us reach the threshold of 1,000 coffee shops in Romania.”
Savopol continues: “In the marathon, not the speed of the start, but endurance is essential, and this derives, in our case, from adaptability, flexibility, and creativity. The 5 to go business consists of over 200 entrepreneurs who make this brand win the trust of tens of thousands of consumers daily.”
International presence
Savopol adds: “They choose us, because this brand is more than a product to their taste, but also a service provider, and the quality of the 5 to go services is defined by the barista, by the smile with which they are greeted, by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere in our coffee shops”.
For the next 5 years, the pillars on which the development is built are the regional expansion, to localities with at least 10,000 people, the consolidation of the international presence, the targeted markets being Spain, Germany, and Hungary, where there are already open discussions, as well as in Bulgaria, Poland, and the Republic of Moldavia, as well as the continuation of building the presence in retail and the portfolio of private-label products under the 5 to go brand, as a result of the identification of trends with potential.
5 to go trends
In 2021–2022, several important trends were noted in the 5 to go network, which will remain a priority for the coming year:
– Increased demand for coffee products based on vegetable milk and vegan varieties
– The appearance of star seasonal products: such as boba tea or frappe with special flavors
– Associating coffee consumption with complementary premium products, such as cookies and vitamin water
“5 to go consumers associate our brand with quality, taste, and diversity. Moreover, the diversity of the product range has attracted new categories of customers to the cafes, not just daily coffee consumers. The mix of products sold is still in favor of coffee-based products, with more than 70% of the total turnover. Moreover, coffee is also the catalyst to success for local entrepreneurs in small and medium towns, where 5 to go soon becomes the official supplier of coffee and daily energy for the local community. We are a flexible business, with several concepts declined from the global vision, to be able to come up with a model for each type of space and regional specificity”, said Lucian Bădilă, co-founder of 5 to go.
A solid brand, a strong community
In 2022, the development strategy targeted small and medium-sized cities, which led to a change in the share of open cafes in Bucharest vs. other cities at 60-40%. This is also reflected in the notoriety of the brand, which according to research carried out in February 2022 is 63% nationally, with a result of 90% in Bucharest, and 56% outside the capital.
The recognition is also reflected in the numerous awards won, more than 45 locally and internationally. The most recent ones are those offered at the Romanian Hospitality Award gala, Best entrepreneur for Radu Savopol and 2nd place in the “Most innovative brand” category, as well as the Made in Romania awards, where 5 to go was among the finalists and won the audience award.
The international recognition of 5 to go started already 2 years ago, by winning silver at The European Coffee Award gala in the Best Coffee Chain category in Central and Eastern Europe, in direct competition with large international chains with tradition. At the same time, at the end of 2020, he received the Special Prize of the IREF Jury for the “European Concept Award”. In total, more than 45 national and international awards are in the 5 to go portfolio and are proof of the entire team’s involvement, passion, and sustained effort.
5 to go figures
- 10th place in the European coffee chain list in 2021
- 5 million consumers, over 40,000 consumers daily
- A network of 230+ entrepreneurs
- Presence in 4 international markets: Great Britain, France, Belgium, Hungary
- 5 private-label products intended for retail: 5 to go coffee based RTD products, VIWA by 5 to go vitamin water, IBRIK coffee, Nespresso compatible 5 to go capsules, range of organic cookies
- 750+ employees
- Over 45 local and international awards
About 5 to go
5 to go was born in 2015, and at the end of 2021 reached almost the threshold of 300 units, being the largest chain of cafes in Eastern Europe and the most accessed franchise in Romania. Radu Savopol and Lucian Bădilă are the founders of 5 to go, the ones who brought to the HoReCa market in Romania the innovative concept of a single price for all the products sold. Under the slogan “Smile, there’s coffee!”, the cafe chain offers consumers a warm and friendly space where coffee is the main actor. The coffee used is one with an intense, full-bodied, creamy aroma, which is a unique blend, created especially for the 5 to go chain of cafes. Because the number 5 represents the structural element of the brand, the 5 to go team offers customers five main reasons to return to one of the cafes in the group: taste, professionalism, speed, diversity, and lifestyle.
