Mahu, La Mama: I expect to see restaurant bills go down

Catalin Mahu, owner of Trotter Restaurant company, which controls La Mama restaurants and Cafepedia coffee shops, says no changes have been felt in consumer behaviour as a result of financial market turmoil, with the company posting a 35 million-RON (around 6.8 million-euro) turnover in the first 9 months of this year, up 66% against the same time in 2007. “We have opened several restaurants, recorded growth in the existing locations and the brands have progressed. So far I have sensed no changes in terms of consumer behaviour. However, I expect changes will occur, and they will mainly show in the lower value of the restaurant bill,” Catalin Mahu told ZF. However, the La Mama owner believes that “as long as the investor has the necessary money and a vision of what they are doing,” they can expand aggressively in the current context, too, with any type of location, coffee shops or restaurants, without turnovers being hurt.