Sphera Franchise Group (stock symbol SFG), the largest food service group in Romania, concluded 2024, the best year in its history, with sales of over RON 1.5 billion and a net profit of RON 97.2 million. The company improved its EBITDA margin by 1.4 pp in 2024 compared to 2023. “In 2024, we had remarkable financial results, we continued our expansion and improved operational efficiency. We strengthened our presence by opening seven new restaurants, especially drive-thru restaurants, which offer us flexibility and cover all service channels. We diversified our portfolio by adding Cioccolatitaliani, a premium brand through which we address a new market segment. All in a year marked by uncertainty, with tense elections, a difficult geopolitical climate and a worsening country’s rating outlook. We performed again in 2024 thanks to our teams in Romania, Italy and the Republic of Moldova, who overcame new challenges every day to fulfill our promises made to customers and investors alike,” said Calin Ionescu, CEO of Sphera Franchise Group. KFC Romania remained the driving force behind the Group’s financial performance, having the most significant contribution to increasing profitability and consolidating operational results. The expansion of the network, through the opening of five new KFC Romania units, had a positive impact on the overall performance, supporting revenue growth. KFC Romania achieved a remarkable net profit of over RON 100 million, 15.5% higher than in 2023, and a healthy EBITDA margin of 13.3%. Taco Bell continued to strengthen its profitability in 2024, with restaurant operating profit of RON 9.54 million, up 60%, and net profit almost six times higher (+496.3%) compared to the previous year. The EBITDA margin stood at a solid level of 10.5%, confirming the operational efficiency and long-term potential of the network. The increase in sales, especially in the third and fourth quarters, reflects the growing popularity of the brand, especially among young people. KFC Italy continued to generate profit in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of positive results. Sales reached RON 191.7 million, up 4.3% compared to the previous year, a healthy pace for a mature market, and net profit reached RON 1.1 million. In 2024, compared to 2023, KFC Moldova continues its double-digit performance in the most important indicators: sales (RON 23.7 million, +15%), EBITDA (+RON 4.2 million, +13.6%), net profit (RON 3.1 million, +11.7%). The brand continues to deliver the best EBITDA margin in the Group, of 17.6%. Pizza Hut’s turnaround is already delivering results, with the company moving from an operating loss in 2023 to a restaurant operating profit of nearly RON 1 million in 2024, a testament to the effectiveness of the network optimization measures. Furthermore, Pizza Hut reduced its net loss by 30% in 2024 compared to 2023, driven by increased operational efficiency following the reorganization process. The optimizations began in 2023 and continued into 2024, primarily to eliminate overlaps resulting from the consolidation of Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery under a single brand. Record sales in Q4 The last quarter of 2024 marked a milestone for the company, being the second time in the Group’s history that quarterly sales exceeded the RON 400 million threshold (RON 405 million, +2.7% compared to Q4 2023). This evolution was supported by a stable consumption environment and the impact of new units opened. All brands achieved sales increases in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023, except for Pizza Hut, which recorded a slight decrease of 0.5%. KFC Moldova had a particularly remarkable evolution, generating sales of RON 7.1 million, higher by 25.9% in the last quarter of last year compared to the same period in 2023. “The solid performance in 2024 reflects adaptability to challenging external factors, such as industry wage adjustments, inflationary pressures and consumer caution fueled by uncertainty in the electoral context in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. We managed to overcome these pressures and achieved record sales, increased our profitability and registered an impressive improvement in operating margins. The accelerated dynamics of KFC Romania, the excellent performance of Taco Bell and the encouraging evolution of Pizza Hut reflect our ability to adapt and consistently apply cost management measures. We know that 2025 comes with new challenges, but we remain committed to delivering a solid financial performance for shareholders,” stated Valentin Budes, CFO of Sphera Franchise Group. Performance above the BET index In 2024, Sphera Franchise Group shares recorded a remarkable appreciation of 56.8%, significantly outperforming the BET index’s 8.78%. At the same time, SFG’s total return was 65%, a robust performance compared to the BET-TR index, which increased by 16.15% in 2024. Sphera Franchise Group shareholders received dividends last year in two installments, on June 6th and November 7th , each worth RON 1.05 gross per share, and the total annual dividend yield, including payments in June and November 2024, reached 5.6%.
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