City Grill Group, the largest Romanian-owned restaurant chain, is announcing a new leadership structure, effective August 2026. Carmen Polcovnicu, with the company since 2005, takes over as CEO.

Ionuț Ceban, who began his career in the group in 2007 at Caru’ cu Bere, becomes Chief Operating Officer, while Daniel Mischie, CEO of the group, moves into the role of Executive Chairman and will focus on the group’s development strategy, new acquisitions and partnerships with entrepreneurs in the industry.

The change comes in a year in which the group’s portfolio has expanded significantly. In 2026 alone, City Grill Group opened the café-bistro in the Constanța Casino, announced a €7 million investment, spread over two years, in a new production facility for ready meals, and allocated an investment budget of €6.5 million for the expansion and modernisation of its restaurants. The group closed 2025 with a consolidated turnover of €90 million and is targeting the €100 million mark this year.

Carmen Polcovnicu, aged 43, has been part of the team for more than 20 years: she was Brand Manager for City Grill, then Brand Manager for Hanu’ lui Manuc, and her most recent position was Chief Operating Officer, coordinating the activity of the entire portfolio.

“I have been with City Grill since 2005 and I learned the business from the inside, from the City Grill and Hanu’ lui Manuc brands to the operations of the entire portfolio. Over these years, our customers have changed, and generations Y and Z already account for around 35% of them. They choose a restaurant based on atmosphere and social experience, and it is for them that we design new concepts and adapt our existing restaurants, from design to music. Customers come back for the way they feel with us, and that depends on every person in our team. That is why the way we train and retain our people matters just as much as our commercial brand,” explains Carmen Polcovnicu, CEO of City Grill Group.