US fast-food chain Taco Bell to open first unit in Romania

The restaurant will be opened in Baneasa Shopping City mall, in northern Bucharest, Sphera Franchise Group said in a press release.

The company is currently looking to hire personnel for the new restaurant, it added.

Sphera Franchise Group was created in June and operates the outlets of KFC, Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery in Romania. It also runs fast food chain KFC's operations in Moldova and in the northeastern part of Italy.

Taco Bell is based in Irvine, California with over 7,000 restaurants worldwide, of which more than 80% are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.

Sphera Franchise Group is one of the biggest restaurant groups in Romania, with overall sales of over 130 million euro ($146 million) per year, 100 locations and over 4,000 employees.

($=0.838 euro)