OREANDA-NEWS.  McDonald’s Corporation announced that Premier Capital SRL, with Melo Hili and Daniel Boaje playing key roles, has been appointed Developmental Licensee for McDonald’s in Romania.
 
The transfer to a Developmental Licensee structure reflects McDonald’s overall turnaround strategy led by President and CEO Steve Easterbrook, which includes long-term goal to be 95% franchised globally. Premier Capital SRL will take over the ownership and operation of all 67 McDonald’s restaurants and 19 McCafes effective January 22 2016 and will ensure the capital to fund the development of McDonald’s in Romania.
 
McDonald’s has a longstanding relationship with the Premier Capital group of companies. It is the Developmental Licensee for McDonald’s in the Baltics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), Malta and Greece and has significant experience working with McDonald’s restaurant teams and suppliers.
 
Daniel Boaje is the current Managing Director of McDonald’s Romania and will remain in this role under the new agreement.
 
“Over the past 20 years we have invested over €160 million in our restaurants in Romania,” said Boaje. “We have served over 65 million customers a year, meaning that over 180,000 customers visit our restaurants and McCafés every day. I’m really proud of everything McDonald’s has achieved in Romania since we opened our doors here back in 1995 and am excited to be working with Melo on this new phase of our development.”
 
McDonald’s employs more than 4,000 people in Romania who will become part of the Premier Capital family. In 2015, McDonald's was named, for the second year in a row, best employer in Romania according to AON Hewitt.
 
“McDonald’s is an established and loved brand in Romania. We are confident that the Developmental Licensee structure with Melo and Daniel will accelerate the development of the business and benefit our customers and staff in Romania,” said Ian Borden, president of Foundational Markets, McDonald’s Corporation.
 
Boaje added: “McDonald’s plays an important role in Romanian society having built over 300 local partnerships with suppliers over the years. Over 26,000 of our staff have passed through McDonald’s training programmes in Romania and we are committed to ensuring that McDonald’s remains a responsible employer.
 
“With our strong customer base, motivated people, trusted suppliers and our continued investment, I strongly believe in the future of McDonald’s in Romania.”
  
Melo Hili, Chairman, Premier Capital PLC said: “We are delighted to welcome the management teams and crew of McDonald’s in Romania to its ever-growing family. These are exciting times for us and we are all set to grow the business in Romania.”
 
“Premier Capital brings 20 years of international operational and investment experience to this partnership in Romania and we look forward to directing our efforts to the development of the market and its people. The addition of a sixth market allows us to identify more synergies and opportunities for collaboration across the Premier Capital footprint so we can use best practice and good ideas  to further enhance customer experience.”
  
About McDonald’s
McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 36,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women.
 
About McDonald’s Romania
McDonald’s is the restaurant market leader in Romania with 67 restaurants in 21 cities. The company has invested more than 700 million lei in Romania. McDonald's Romania has more than 4,000 employees and is serves over 180,000 customers daily. In 2015, McDonald's was named, for the second year in a row, best employer in Romania according to AON Hewitt.
 
About Premier Capital
Premier Capital plc is the developmental licensee for McDonald’s in Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta. It operates 64 stores in prime locations, more than half of which are McDrives, and numerous McCafes across its footprint.
 
A team of 2,800 people operates 10 restaurants in Estonia, 22 in Greece, 12 in Latvia, 11 in Lithuania, and 9 in Malta, where more than 35.5 million customers were served in 2015.
 
Premier Capital is the McDonald’s division of Hili Ventures, a group headquartered in Malta and present in 10 countries from the Mediterranean and the Middle East to Central and Eastern Europe. Hili Ventures is engaged in multi-sited operations in partnership with McDonald’s and Apple, logistics, engineering, technology, and property.