Success as Pinchos Opens in Kiel
Last week, the Swedish restaurant chain Pinchos opened its first restaurant in the German city of Kiel. With more than 80 restaurants across the Nordic region and strong momentum despite a challenging market climate, the opening in Germany marks the beginning of the next phase of the company’s expansion journey.
The establishment in Kiel is Pinchos’ first unit outside the Nordic market. With its strategic location and well-established restaurant scene, Kiel represents a natural choice to secure proof of concept in the German market.
“We see great potential in Germany, but we also have great respect for the fact that we need to learn the German market. The warm welcome we received from guests during the opening weekend has naturally strengthened our confidence. We have a clear roadmap ahead with more openings planned in northern Germany and are actively working to identify the right locations. Encouragingly, we have already been contacted by interested franchise partners, although our ambition during the first year is to operate the restaurants we open ourselves,” says Patrik Back, CEO of Pincho Nation.
The restaurant in Kiel is centrally located, ideally situated along the route from Schwedenkai. With approximately 200 seats and the possibility of a spacious outdoor dining area, both dinner guests and bar visitors will feel welcome. The opening weekend quickly became fully booked, and the restaurant already has a waiting list for upcoming weekends.
“For German guests, Pinchos offers something entirely new – a restaurant experience unlike anything currently available. During the opening, we received very positive feedback on all the cornerstones our concept is built upon. The guests I spoke to were pleased with the menu, impressed by our extravagant interior design, and appreciated the relaxed atmosphere. We may have expected some negative comments regarding app-based ordering, but fortunately guests were open to this as well. The restaurant has had a fantastic start, and I am extremely proud of all our employees who have worked hard on the establishment. It feels good that their efforts have truly paid off,” says Patrik Back, CEO of Pincho Nation.
The Pinchos restaurant concept, launched in Gothenburg in 2012, has expanded rapidly across the Nordic region in recent years. Despite challenges related to the pandemic and economic downturn, the chain and its restaurants have performed well and been able to continue investing in expansion. The company sees strong interest in the concept from both guests and franchise partners, which last year resulted in eight successful new openings. Today, the chain operates 65 restaurants in Sweden, 8 in Norway, 6 in Denmark, 2 in Finland, and 1 in Germany. Further openings are planned for 2025.
“We have a well-functioning and scalable model for opening, operating, and supporting our restaurants as a franchisor. Ultimately, it is about delivering a concept where guests are satisfied and restaurateurs see profitability,” concludes Patrik Back, CEO of Pinchos.
