How Marian Alecu became an entrepreneur in the post-McDonald's period

After 16 years of developing McDonald’s fast-food restaurant business, Marian Teodor Alecu is now signing contracts under his own stamp. He says that since early 2010 he’s been contacted by 10 companies for consulting services, either for penetration on the Romanian market or for business development, he’s opened a hotel in Venus seaside resort and became more strongly involved in family businesses. Does he see himself as an entrepreneur? “Well, I believe I do. I’ve changed my status from that of an employee, because no matter your position you still are an employee, into that of being my own master. Now, I am planning my time, peak periods, holidays, myself,” says the businessman. The contract signed with McDonald’s does not allow him to invest in the competition field, at least until April 2011. After almost a year during which he travelled more than in other years, he speaks of other projects. “At present, I’m providing assistance in food retail and in the watches and clothes market. (…)”. Ever since he ran the domestic operations of McDonald’s, Alecu has been involved in real estate deals. He’s raised two buildings, one in Predeal and one in Bucharest, whose apartments he currently rents out “for several hundred euros per month” and he’s opened Club Safir, a 16-apartment hotel, in Venus this year.