Top 10 hospitality companies in Croatia: McDonald’s No. 1

The Croatian hospitality sector has seen a strong year, with many of the country’s leading food and beverage companies reporting double-digit growth.

According to data released by Fina, the standout performer in 2024 was Globalna Hrana, the operator of McDonald’s in Croatia, tportal reports.

Globalna Hrana posted record revenues of €232.9 million, marking a 24% increase compared to the previous year.

Net profits also saw a sharp rise, reaching €25.4 million – up 27.66%. Operating 47 McDonald’s outlets across 17 cities, the company employs over 2,150 staff, offering an average net salary of €1,280. Its profit margin stands at 10.9%, well above industry averages.

In second place was Pleter usluge, the state-owned catering and accommodation service run by the Ministry of Defence. The company, which provides meals across 29 military facilities and operates several hotels and hostels, recorded €42.7 million in revenue, a 12% rise.

It also offers various market-based services including catering, cleaning, laundry and the exclusive distribution of military gear through its ‘Hrvatski vojnik’ store and webshop.

Filia usluge, operating the popular Batak Grill chain with 24 restaurants, secured third place with revenues of €37.3 million – a remarkable 53.63% increase.

Its sister company, Virtuoz usluge, which manages the Leggiero bar chain, also made the list with €20 million in revenue (+13.03%).

Dubrovačka Nautika, known for its high-end dining spots across Dubrovnik, came fourth with €21.2 million in total turnover, while the fast-growing burger chain Submarine took sixth place.

Now majority-owned by Prosperus Growth, Submarine operates 18 restaurants and reported €19.2 million in revenue (+25.37%), employing over 200 staff with an average salary of €1,055, tportal said in its analysis.

AmRest Adria, representing international brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Starbucks, and La Tagliatella in Croatia, ranked seventh. A subsidiary of Madrid-based AmRest Holdings SE, the company saw revenues rise to €18.8 million – a 27.37% jump.

Rounding out the top ten were:

BTA Croatia, a subsidiary of Turkish BTA Group operating food services at Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman Airport. With around 150 employees, it offers the highest average salary among the top ten at €1,676.

Euroadria, the company behind Catering Kvatrić, which employs 170 people and reported an average net wage of €843.

Bites & Beyond concluded the list with €15.1 million in revenue (+41.08%). The firm has rapidly expanded its portfolio to include brands such as Gyotaku, Good Food, Purple Monkey, 4 Burgers, SoHo Sushi and Plant Punk.