“In our restaurants, a few months ago, we decided to take only people from the Romanian market. If we don’t give a chance to the workforce in Romania, they will leave and we will complain that they are leaving. For the new locations we are going to open, we will need about 100 employees. For this, we cooperate with vocational schools, and we also hire people with disabilities, because we have to give back to the community the good that we receive”, – emphasized Cătălin Mahu, the owner of the restaurant chain.

Last year, the La Mama restaurant chain increased its turnover by 15% compared to 2022. Cătălin Mahu has plans to expand by two or three more establishments in 2024, in which he wants to invest two million euros. By the end of the year, it will need about 100 new employees, and the policy of the network is an emphasis on domestic work, including people with disabilities.

To increase turnover by 15% in 2023 was difficult in the inflationary conditions in which the economy was operating.

“Our prices have increased less than for raw materials. Let’s not forget that the price of oil increased from three to nine lei. We in the restaurant industry have had to act as a buffer between this growth and customers. In our network, we change prices twice a year. If I put it in March, I didn’t touch it until September, no matter what. During this period, we increased them by 20-40%. At the same time, La Mama’s menu today has some of the smallest E’s in Bucharest, and I take what I say. We have Es-free fish snacks, 80% land-raised chicken,” Mahu said.

According to the entrepreneur, the best state measures for the HoReCa sector were the reduction of VAT to 5% on food products and the reduction of tax on dividends to 5%.

“In 2002, these events helped me open a restaurant at Ateneu. They seemed to me the best incentive,” added Katalin Mahu.

The HoReCa industry in Romania is growing, its potential has not yet been reached if we look at other European countries.

“There are more than 30,000 establishments that sell food all over Romania, and here we also include bars and pretzel shops. In London, for example, there are over a million units. The restaurant market in Romania is still in its infancy. We need to cook less and eat more in the city, but we are not yet ready to have this convenience. Until we manage to get out with the consistency with which the Westerners do it, we have little left. We have fewer tourists than other European capitals, and we know how much tourism income brings in food,” said Katelin Mahou.

The first La Mama restaurant was opened 25 years ago in the Ștefan cel Mare area in the presence of friends. The first dishes on the menu were small potatoes and fried potatoes.