Robert Chirițoiu – tells us how he managed to get through the difficult moments caused by the pandemic and what determined him to continue and open his own business
Robert wanted to become an entrepreneur since adolescence, so he chose to study in the field, being a graduate of the Faculty of Business and Tourism within the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest
The freedom to decide and to develop on his own are the main reasons that motivated him to choose this path, he says: “I wanted to become an entrepreneur, because from this role I can achieve more things than from the role of employee. I have the opportunity to make my own decisions, and then to see the results. “
The choice to develop his business in Romania came naturally for him, being motivated by friends and family. Robert thinks that the place where you decide to open your business is not an impediment: “I consider that anywhere in the world you can do business, and the fact that we live in Romania is not a disadvantage for entrepreneurs. This fact was demonstrated by 5 to go, which managed to have notoriety on the Romanian market in just a few years. ”
Ever since he first entered a 5 to go cafe, he was impressed by the concept: “From the look of the cafes, the great taste of the coffee to the friendly barista, always with a smile on his face, they made me be a loyal customer of the café on the Fall of the Bastille, which was close to my place of work at the time. ”
He learned about franchising options via the Internet, reading an article about the franchise’s founder, Radu Savopol, and about the development of the coffee chain. From one article he got to read more and more, starting to get informed and wanting his own cafe: “Everything I read and then saw in the cafes made me want to have such a business and to be behind the bar. ”
Thus, he saw in 5 to go an opportunity to start his career as an entrepreneur: “Through the 5 to go franchise I identified an easier way to start the entrepreneurial path, because I started a business already set up, known in the market. In addition, the support provided by the franchisor is an advantage you do not have in a normal business.
From then until now, Robert feels that he has developed both professionally and personally. He began to feel at ease at business meetings and encountered unforeseen situations, which made him learn something new every time: “By 5 to go I understood what it means to be an entrepreneur, how important it is to be present every day so that everything works properly and customers come to buy our products. ”
Robert admits that he went through hard times because of the pandemic. He had to close the location six weeks after opening, and things were not easy after reopening. But, gradually, due to his involvement and patience, everything returned to normal, and now he enjoys every day both his and the cafe’s evolution.
If he had to choose a significant moment since he opened the cafe, it would be the very day of the reopening: “Customers came back to the cafe and were so happy that we reopened, that they could get the coffee they like again, they told me to we find a solution not to shut down again. Seeing them so happy to be able to re-enter our cafes gave me a sense of happiness and pride that I am part of the 5 to go team. They also reconfirmed that I made the best choice by opening my own cafe. ”
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