Burrito Madre will open its first Romanian restaurant at Mega Mall Bucharest next week, on October 26, following a USD 400,000 investment. The fast-casual chain plans to establish 20 locations nationwide over the next five years.
The expansion plan includes restaurants in Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Timișoara, Constanța, Brașov, and Ploiești, alongside further locations in Bucharest. The company will consider both shopping mall and street-front units.
“We assessed several Central and Eastern European markets before choosing Romania,” said Ivan Iricanin, founder and CEO of parent company Street Guys Hospitality.
“We were looking for a market large enough to develop a substantial restaurant network, but also close enough to our operations in Serbia to manage logistics, team training, and quality control efficiently.”
The company intends to use its experience in Romania to prepare expansion into other European markets, including Poland and Bulgaria.
Founded in Belgrade in 2014, Burrito Madre currently operates 20 restaurants in six Serbian cities. The company expects to generate approximately USD 10 million in revenue in 2026.
The brand’s menu includes customizable burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and salads. Fresh produce and meat for its Romanian operations will be sourced through suppliers and distributors in the country, the company said.
The Mega Mall restaurant is expected to serve between 300 and 400 customers daily and will create approximately 15 jobs. Burrito Madre estimates that its planned Romanian network will generate more than 300 direct jobs over five years.
“We believe Romania’s fast-casual market has significant growth potential, particularly for concepts that combine fresh ingredients, customization, speed of service, and good value for money,” Ivan Iricanin said.
In the longer term, the company aims to generate annual revenue of between EUR 10 million and EUR 15 million in Romania.
Burrito Madre is part of Street Guys Hospitality, an international hospitality group headquartered in the United States. The group’s portfolio also includes Ambar, a Balkan-inspired restaurant concept launched in Washington, D.C., and extended with locations in Northern Virginia and Chicago, as well as food and beverage operations at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.
Street Guys Hospitality operates 25 restaurants and food and beverage outlets, employs more than 400 people, and generates annual revenue of over USD 30 million.