McDonald’s licensee Premier Capital to open 13 restaurants in 2019

Ten restaurants opened in 2018 as part of four-year €64 million programme

Premier Capital plc, the Malteseowned developmental licensee for McDonald’s in six European markets, opened 10 new restaurants in 2018 and began its 2019 expansion programme with the inauguration of an additional restaurant in Greece last month. The group will open 13 restaurants this year.

The openings fall under a €64 million investment drive to expand Premier Capital’s restaurant portfolio in the Baltics, Greece, Romania and Malta to 176 restaurants by 2021.

Opened between January 2018 and January 2019, the 11 new restaurants, four of which were opened in Romania in December, bring the total McDonald’s restaurants currently operated by Premier Capital to 147. The group’s staff complement now exceeds 8,200 people. Eight of the new restaurants opened in Romania, four of which with McDrive and McCafe operations. The new restaurant in Lithuania and the additional two in Greece also feature McDrive.

Premier Capital’s modernisation programme continued in 2018 with 22 conversion projects completed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece and Romania. The revamped restaurants feature the latest McDonald’s innovation with self-ordering kiosks, an updated McDonald’s kitchen configuration, and features like table services and upgraded birthday party rooms. The modernisation programme has now been completed in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and is expected to be finished in Romania, Greece and Malta by end 2020.

This year, Premier Capital will continue to direct considerable investment and training into ‘Expe- rience of the Future’, McDonald’s revolutionary service model which injects innovation into the customers’ experience as they interact with the brand. More restaurants around the footprint will be remodelled and upgraded, and additional services introduced.

“Our vision for the next three years focuses on broadening customers’ accessibility to McDonald’s, modernising the experience we deliver to them, and remaining committed to our people so that they derive as much reward and advancement in their career with McDonald’s as possible,” Premier Capital Managing Director Victor Tedesco said. “We will do this by running great restaurants, capturing growth opportunities, encouraging new leaders, and reducing complexity in restaurants and in processes.”

Premier Capital’s business continued to grow in 2018, increasing its year-on-year growth momentum. Comparable sales and guest counts surpassed 2017’s figures by 10 per cent and four per cent respectively.

McDonald’s Larissa Premier Capital’s restaurant network expanded to 147 restaurants with the opening of the McDonald’s at Larissa in Greece. The restaurant was opened by Simona Mancinelli, General Manager of McDonald’s in Greece, and Victor Tedesco, Managing Director of Premier Capital plc, with Greek presenter Evvagelia Aravani.