5 To Go

5 To Go is a Romanian coffee-chain brand established in Bucharest in 2015 by Radu Savopol and Lucian Bădilă. The first café opened in February 2015, introducing a deliberately simple proposition: coffee and selected accompanying products offered at an accessible fixed price of five Romanian lei. The pricing idea gave the brand a highly memorable name and helped distinguish it in a market where specialty-style coffee could otherwise be perceived as relatively expensive. The business was designed for fast-paced urban consumption. Its outlets provide takeaway-oriented coffee and other drinks, together with pastries, sandwiches, snacks, and related convenience-food items. Its core beverage range includes espresso-based drinks such as espresso, cappuccino, and latte, alongside tea, fresh juices, and smoothies. The combination of a limited-service format, clear value proposition, and accessible locations allowed 5 To Go to target commuters, students, office workers, and other customers seeking a quick everyday purchase rather than a lengthy café experience. The chain expanded through a mixture of company-owned and franchise-operated locations. This model supported relatively rapid geographic growth while requiring the brand to maintain consistent pricing, product quality, store presentation, and operating procedures across its network. By 2020, the chain had grown to more than 150 locations in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, making it one of the country’s largest coffee chains according to the cited reference material. By 2024, it was reported to operate more than 650 branches, demonstrating the scale reached by its Romanian expansion. 5 To Go’s development has also included international activity. By 2024, the brand had opened several locations in Hungary and planned potential entry into Slovakia and Bulgaria. These moves represented an attempt to transfer its value-oriented coffee-shop format beyond its home market while preserving the straightforward identity associated with the five-leu concept. The available material does not establish the exact number of international locations, the legal ownership structure, or whether all reported market-entry plans were completed. The brand has received recognition for its growth and business model. In 2018, it was reported as the recipient of a Best Romanian Brand award at the Forbes Brands for the Future Gala. In 2023, co-founder Radu Savopol received an Outstanding Contribution to the European Coffee Industry award at the European Coffee Awards gala in Barcelona. These recognitions support the brand’s profile within Romania’s coffee sector, although they do not by themselves establish financial performance or market-share rankings. 5 To Go remains an active private coffee-chain brand whose principal competitive themes are affordability, speed, accessibility, and network convenience. Its identity is closely tied to the original five-lei offer, even as menu categories and geographical coverage have broadened. No reliable public information in the supplied material confirms current revenue, profitability, valuation, exact branch count, ownership percentages, or a complete list of present executives.

5 To Go was founded in Bucharest in 2015 by Radu Savopol and Lucian Bădilă. The first café opened in February of that year. From its beginning, the concept was intended to serve urban customers who wanted coffee and snacks quickly and at a low, easily understood price. The brand’s name referred to its original fixed-price proposition, under which items were offered for five Romanian lei. This pricing strategy made the concept immediately recognizable and helped present coffee consumption as an accessible everyday purchase rather than an occasional premium experience. The initial format combined a compact coffee outlet with a menu centered on espresso-based beverages and convenient food. Coffee products included espresso, cappuccino, and latte, while the wider menu included tea, fresh juices, smoothies, pastries, sandwiches, and snacks. The operating concept emphasized speed, consistency, and ease of purchase, matching the routines of commuters and other customers in busy urban areas. The chain’s expansion relied on both company-operated and franchised locations. Franchising enabled 5 To Go to develop a broad network while retaining a common brand identity and standardized customer proposition. By 2020, the chain had grown to more than 150 outlets in Bucharest and other major Romanian cities. This expansion made it one of Romania’s largest coffee chains in the reference material and demonstrated that the low-price positioning could support a substantial multi-location business. The company continued to grow during the following years. By 2024, 5 To Go was reported to operate more than 650 branches. Its activity also began to extend outside Romania, with several locations in Hungary. The brand planned to enter Slovakia and Bulgaria in 2024, although the supplied material does not confirm the final implementation or scale of those plans. International development reflected an effort to replicate the Romanian model in nearby markets while preserving the brand’s value-led identity. 5 To Go also received external recognition. In 2018, it was reported to have won a Best Romanian Brand award at the Forbes Brands for the Future Gala. In 2023, co-founder Radu Savopol received an Outstanding Contribution to the European Coffee Industry award at the European Coffee Awards gala in Barcelona. These recognitions highlighted the brand’s visibility and the perceived significance of its growth model in the regional coffee sector. The available sources do not provide a complete account of the company’s legal structure, ownership, financial results, present executive team, franchise economics, or exact current number of stores. Accordingly, those details are not inferred here. The documented history supports describing 5 To Go as an active Romanian coffee-chain brand whose development has been driven by a memorable low-price proposition, a convenience-oriented store format, franchised expansion, and gradual internationalization.

1. 2024Large-scale network and regional expansion

   The brand was reported to operate more than 650 branches, with several locations in Hungary and planned market entry into Slovakia and Bulgaria.

   Source
2. 2023Co-founder recognized by European Coffee Awards

   Radu Savopol received an Outstanding Contribution to the European Coffee Industry award at the European Coffee Awards gala in Barcelona.

   Source
3. 2020Network surpasses 150 locations

   The chain reached more than 150 locations across Bucharest and other major Romanian cities.

   Source
4. 2018Best Romanian Brand recognition

   The brand was reported to receive a Best Romanian Brand award at the Forbes Brands for the Future Gala.

   Source
5. 2015First café opens in Bucharest

   5 To Go was founded in Bucharest and opened its first café in February, introducing its five-leu value proposition.

   Source

Affordable, convenient, fast-service coffee for everyday urban consumption

• Espresso-based coffeeCoffee beverages2015

  Coffee is the central product category of 5 To Go. The documented menu includes espresso, cappuccino, and latte, supporting the brand’s role as a quick-service coffee operator. These drinks are sold through compact outlets designed for convenient everyday consumption. The five-leu concept originally applied to the chain’s broad offer and became a core part of its identity, although the supplied material does not establish current prices for individual beverages.

• Tea and other hot drinksHot beverages

  The chain’s beverage offer extends beyond coffee to tea and other hot drinks. These products broaden the customer base and provide alternatives for consumers who want a quick takeaway beverage without ordering espresso-based coffee. The available reference does not specify the complete range, recipes, seasonal availability, or current pricing.

• Fresh juices and smoothiesCold beverages

  Fresh juices and smoothies are part of the reported 5 To Go menu, adding non-coffee and cold-drink choices to the chain’s convenience-focused offer. They complement the coffee range and allow the outlets to serve customers at different times of day. Specific ingredients, product names, and sourcing details are not established by the supplied sources.

• Pastries, sandwiches, and snacksConvenience food

  5 To Go also sells pastries, sandwiches, and other snacks intended to accompany beverages or serve as quick standalone purchases. This food range supports the chain’s urban, on-the-go format and increases the usefulness of its outlets for commuting and short-break occasions. The supplied material does not provide a complete product catalogue or identify individual permanent and seasonal items.

• 2024Pursue regional international expansionStrategy

  After developing a large Romanian network, 5 To Go sought to apply its value-oriented coffee-shop format in nearby markets.

  What changed. The brand opened several locations in Hungary and planned entry into Slovakia and Bulgaria.

  Aftermath. The supplied material confirms Hungarian locations but does not establish whether the planned Slovakian and Bulgarian expansion was completed.

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• 2015Adopt the five-leu value propositionStrategy

  The founders developed the brand for urban consumers seeking fast access to coffee and snacks at an affordable price.

  What changed. 5 To Go launched with a fixed-price concept centered on five Romanian lei, making the pricing idea part of the name and customer proposition.

  Aftermath. The simple value message helped the chain gain popularity and became a defining feature of its identity.

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• 2015Use company-owned and franchised expansionStrategy

  The business needed to scale its accessible coffee format while maintaining consistent service and brand presentation.

  What changed. The chain expanded through a combination of company-owned and franchise-operated stores.

  Aftermath. The model supported growth to more than 150 locations by 2020 and more than 650 branches by 2024, according to the supplied reference.

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• 20245 To Go reaches more than 650 branches and develops international expansion

  By 2024, the chain was reported to operate more than 650 branches and to have opened several locations in Hungary, while planning possible entry into Slovakia and Bulgaria.

  Other
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• 2023Radu Savopol receives European coffee-industry contribution award

  Co-founder Radu Savopol was reported to have received an Outstanding Contribution to the European Coffee Industry award at the European Coffee Awards gala in Barcelona.

  Leadership change
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• 20205 To Go expands beyond 150 locations by 2020

  The Romanian coffee chain was reported to have exceeded 150 locations across Bucharest and other major Romanian cities, using both company-owned and franchise-operated outlets.

  Other
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• 20185 To Go receives Best Romanian Brand recognition

  The brand was reported to have won a Best Romanian Brand award at the Forbes Brands for the Future Gala.

  Other
  Source

1. 5 to go
2. Official 5 To Go website