Romanian coffee shop chain ‘5 to go’ ranks fourth in Europe by number of locations, according to Dark Roast, Bright Future: Scaling Coffee Brands in an Evolving Market, a report published in November 2026 by market research and advisory firm WhiteSpace Partners.
The ranking, based on May 2026 data, has Starbucks at the top, with 3,488 units, followed by Costa Coffee with 2,967 units, and Caffè Nero with 863 units.
‘5 to go’ comes in fourth with 718 locations, ahead of chains such as Espresso House (457 units), Coffee Island (393), Mikel Coffee Company (363), and Gregory’s (335).
According to the WhiteSpace Partners analysis, Romania accounts for 8% of the total number of locations operated by the brands included in the Top 50 ranking across the 24 European markets surveyed.
Of these brands, 13 are present in Romania, operating a combined 1,054 locations, 68% of which belong to ‘5 to go’. Romania also ranks fourth in Europe in terms of the density of locations operated by the chains included in the ranking, with 55 units per million inhabitants, behind Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
‘5 to go’ has now reached the milestone of 800 locations, including 18 coffee shops operating outside Romania: 10 in Bulgaria, five in the Republic of Moldova and three in Ireland. The company is also preparing to enter the Serbian market, with its first opening planned for the near future.
Franchising remains one of the key drivers of the company’s growth, supporting the network’s expansion beyond major urban centers, alongside international development and the adaptation of coffee shop formats to different types of locations. Looking ahead to 2027–2028, ‘5 to go’ aims to reach 1,000 coffee shops in Romania and approach 100 international locations, focusing on strengthening its presence in existing markets while identifying new expansion opportunities.
Our ambition is to turn ‘5 to go’ into a European value-for-money platform.
“We’re proud that what started as a 12-square-metre coffee shop has grown into a competitive Romanian brand, now ranking among some of the biggest names in the industry. I believe the only way to keep growing and performing well is to constantly look for new opportunities, dare to try new things and, above all, surround yourself with a team you can always rely on. Our ambition is to turn ‘5 to go’ into a European value-for-money platform and prove that our business model, built around great coffee at an affordable price, can work just as well in other markets. We still have big plans ahead, but we want to grow sustainably and stay true to what made people choose 5 to go in the first place,” Radu Savopol, co-founder of ‘5 to go’, said.
Radu Savopol (left) and Lucian Bădilă, the co-founders of 5 to go Photo: the company
‘5 to go’ was founded in 2015 by Radu Savopol and Lucian Bădilă. The founders introduced a single-price concept to Romania’s HoReCa market, initially offering all products at the same fixed price.
The WhiteSpace Partners ranking reflects the number of locations operated by each brand across the 24 European markets analyzed as of May 2026.
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