Calif is a quick-service restaurant chain in Bucharest and the first Kebab Boutique in Romania, offering tasteful Middle Eastern cuisine: all specialties are carefully prepared in its own central kitchen. A passion for Eastern flavors and for good taste can be found across all the "Califates". Recipes are followed to the letter so the taste doesn’t vary from one restaurant to another.

In a very crowded market like fast food, Radu Tanase and his two partners built, from the outset, a brand grounded in product quality, presentation and how they interact with customers.

The Calif story began five years ago, at the end of 2010, with turnover of EUR 190,000 and 20 employees, and in 2015 they closed the year with over EUR 3,000,000, 150 employees and 3 locations in Bucharest: Califatul Selari, Califatul Iancului, Califatul Militari.

Radu Tanase, one of the three shareholders of Calif, tells us about this business supported by Banca Transilvania, the bank of enterprising people.

How would you describe Calif in three words?

Honest, Smart and Different

What motivated you to start a business like this, in this industry?

There’s a lot to tell here, but the one thing I had then and still have now, which made me team up with my partner, Bogdan Jantea, is the courage and openness I have toward new challenges.

Why the name Calif? How did you arrive at the current logo?

The name came after a fairly long period of analyzing, spelling out and pronouncing whole lists of names proposed by specialist agencies. In the end, we chose Calif because we believe it has that "something" that evokes the Orient — and also conveys respect.

The logo was created by designer Victor Bartis, with whom we developed — and continue to develop — the entire visual identity. A remarkable artist. 

How did you set yourselves apart from similar businesses? What marketing and promotion strategies have you used?

Looking back, differentiation was actually straightforward in a segment where customers were used to a standard product with mediocre taste and very little attention to detail.

Our ranking as a leader in the Quick Service Restaurant segment in recent years says it all about us. Today, the Calif menu features 75 items across categories that cover almost the full range of customers’ tastes. We also want to challenge the perception that fast food is always unhealthy, so we work with a nutritionist on menu development and have included a fairly wide range of diet and vegetarian options.

Marketing has been and remains a tool we believe we handle quite well — let’s not forget our entry into Romania’s Social Brands top, according to Biz magazine. Strategy-wise, we’ve chosen to lean heavily on social media — it’s within easy reach for everyone in our core segment — but not only that. I think we were the first restaurant to have the courage to introduce three items created entirely by bloggers, and one of them, much appreciated, is now among customers’ top favorites. We also have plenty of surprises in store for the future, so… "keep connected". 

What are the business challenges you face?

The ultimate challenge, I believe, is to be among the top three businesses of our kind in terms of brand awareness. At the same time, the number one challenge will certainly be maintaining and raising product quality and the standard of service we offer. 

Who is your target audience?

Our target audience is people aged 21 to 30, with middle to high incomes.

How did you come to work with BT?

At first we said that, if we ever needed a loan, we didn’t want to turn to a bank and would save up from our own sources; and we operated that way for quite a while. But then came a point when we needed a bit of support, and the ones who lent us a hand were you, Banca Transilvania. Everyone else treated us like novices, with no track record and high risk.

How will the Calif business evolve in the coming years?

We want it to become the best-known business in Romania in the quick-service food segment, and we’ll do everything we can to achieve that objective as soon as possible.

What advice do you have for people looking to start a business?

A five-year business plan; extremely careful cash-flow management; always put the "worst case scenario" on the table; respect your team and don’t delay payroll by even one minute; set clear, strict rules: grant bonuses when people deserve them, apply sanctions when it’s called for.

If you’re from Bucharest or passing through, we recommend one of the Calif locations: Califatul Iancului and Califatul Militari.