City Grill Group names Carmen Polcovnicu as new CEO
Romania's largest homegrown restaurant chain hands daily control to 21-year insider Carmen Polcovnicu, as founder Daniel Mischie steps back to lead acquisitions and strategy.
City Grill Group, Romania's largest homegrown restaurant chain, has named Carmen Polcovnicu chief executive, effective August 2026.
Polcovnicu, 43, joined City Grill in 2005 as brand manager for the group's flagship restaurant and for Hanu' lui Manuc, later becoming director of operations across the full portfolio. She succeeds Daniel Mischie, who co-founded the company and has run it as CEO since January 2017.
A steeper handover of control
Carmen and Ionuț have grown together with the group.
Mischie moves to executive chairman, a role focused on long-term strategy, acquisitions and partnerships with other industry entrepreneurs. Dragoș Petrescu stays on as non-executive chairman. Ionuț Ceban, 42, who joined the group in 2007 and has run several of its restaurants, becomes director of operations alongside Polcovnicu.
The group has grown from 17 restaurants and cafés in 2017 to 44 locations today. Consolidated revenue reached €90 million in 2025, and City Grill Group is targeting €100 million for 2026.
"Carmen and Ionuț have grown together with the group," Mischie said of the handover.
City Grill Group's expansion plans
The portfolio spans Caru' cu Bere, Hanu' lui Manuc, Pescăruș, Hanu' Berarilor and Buongiorno.Italian, alongside newer additions Marty Restaurants in Cluj, the Aubergine restaurant and the La Boheme hotel. Cosmin Chiorean now runs Marty as managing director, and Jan Stoian takes the same role at Aubergine, with founder Ronen Meri staying on for culinary direction. The reshuffle follows a run of similar handovers across European dining, including a new managing director at Wolseley Hospitality Group and a new chief executive at Manolo Bakes.
City Grill Group plans to invest €7 million over two years in a ready-meals plant near Bucharest, aiming to triple output to 15,000 portions a day, plus €6.5 million to expand and renovate restaurants in 2026. Polcovnicu points to diners in their twenties and thirties, now roughly 35% of customers, as the reason to keep updating the format.
Mischie built City Grill Group's growth largely inside Bucharest; its next phase now rests with two executives who spent their careers inside its dining rooms.
