5 to go’s full-year revenues reached €40m ($43.5m) last year | Photo credit: 5 to go

Romanian coffee chain 5 to go has set out plans to open 150 stores and increase sales by 25% this year. 
 

Bucharest-based 5 to go, which surpassed 500 outlets in Romania last year, is seeking to enter 40 new cities across the southeastern European country in 2024 while strengthening its position in the Romanian capital, where more than half of its stores are located. 

Internationally, the value-focused coffee chain plans to open its first store in Slovakia in the first half of the year, reach 10 outlets in Hungary and implement a pilot project in Bulgaria.  

Bolstered by 50% year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, 5 to go’s full-year revenue reached €40m ($43.5m) last year. It forecasts sales will reach €50m ($54.4m) in 2024. 

“The results achieved in the last quarter of 2023 exceeded our estimates and have boosted our planning for the next period. The year has just started, and we already have 25 new location openings and eight renovations planned for January-February alone. Things are steadily progressing locally, with a new 5 to go location opening in Romania practically every two working days,” said Radu Savopol, co-founder, 5 to go. 

5 to go also plans to expand its packaged retail range this year and expects the segment’s turnover will increase tenfold over the next five years. The chain’s retail offering currently comprises a ready-to-drink (RTD) range, branded coffee pods, vitamin waters and coffee syrups.   

Last year, 5 to go grew its retail line-up with a one-litre RTD ‘This is frappé’ range – the first of its kind to be sold in Romania – and the acquisition of vending machine network Take a bite vending, which it will rebrand as ‘FAST SHOP by 5 to go’. The FAST SHOP by 5 to go will stock its RTD and coffee pod products. 

Founded in 2015, 5 to go rapidly expanded across Romania with its value-focused menu pricing most beverages at 5 leu ($1.09). While the coffee chain still prices espresso at that value, a  raised the cappuccino will now set you back to 6 leu ($1.31), latte to 7 leu ($1.53) and flat white to 10 leu ($2.19) – bringing it in line with 71-store coffee-to-go chain Zireto, its closest competitor by outlets.

However, 5 to go menu remains firmly focused on value compared to premium operators such as Starbucks, which prices espresso at 7.5 leu ($1.64) and a cappucino at 12.9 leu ($2.82).