GBB Concept: from two clinics to a franchise model

Experience running clinics simultaneously in Split and Zagreb is one of the key reasons why GBB Concept wants to organise its next phase of growth through franchising. In an interview published by Croatian business newspaper Poslovni dnevnik on 30 September 2026, director and owner Gianino Budimir Bekan explained the thinking behind a decision that introduces a proposed healthcare concept to Croatia’s franchise market.

A change of model driven by operating two locations

GBB Concept has operated clinics in Split and Zagreb for several years. According to Budimir Bekan, the experience of managing them in parallel was one of the key reasons for deciding to take a different approach to further growth. The company therefore intends to pursue its next stage of expansion through a clinic franchise model.

An important distinction here is between opening another company-owned location and changing the way the business expands. The announcement is not simply about where a new clinic might open, but also about how the owner of the existing concept intends to establish it in additional locations. The published interview links that decision directly to the company’s operational experience to date.

This background is relevant to entrepreneurs following Croatia’s franchise market. In this case, the decision to franchise builds on experience gained from running two existing clinics. However, the available information does not establish exactly which responsibilities future partners will take on and which the franchisor will retain.

Patient enquiries point to interest in other cities

Budimir Bekan said that questions patients have been asking for years are also helping to shape the company’s thinking about potential locations. He mentioned Dubrovnik, Zadar, Rijeka, Karlovac, Varaždin, Osijek and eastern Zagreb as areas where patients have expressed interest.

This list should be read as an indication of interest and the direction of planning, rather than confirmation of agreed locations. The interview extract provided gives no addresses, names of future franchisees or individual opening dates. For local entrepreneurs, that distinction matters: a city’s inclusion in an expansion plan does not mean that a partner has been selected or a specific project launched.

The owner also stressed that they do not want to create competition for themselves. Yet he included eastern Zagreb among the potential areas, even though the company already operates a clinic in Zagreb. His remarks therefore do not justify assuming that markets will be divided strictly by city. The precise boundaries of future operating territories are not explained in the available material.

A franchise announcement is not a confirmed opening

Poslovni dnevnik describes the project as Croatia’s first healthcare franchise. That claim should be attributed to the source: the research provided does not include a broader review of healthcare franchises that would allow it to be independently verified. What the interview clearly supports is GBB Concept’s intention to pursue further growth through franchising.

The company has also announced multi-year expansion goals in Croatia and abroad. However, these remain plans, not evidence that future clinics have already opened or that contracts have been signed for them. The next significant milestone would be the announcement of a specific partnership or an individual location with a confirmed opening schedule.

It is equally important not to fill gaps in the announcement with assumptions about the franchise offer. The material provided does not specify the initial investment, franchise fees, contract length or partner selection criteria. Nor does it describe a training package or how the operation of future clinics will be monitored. The absence of these details from the extract does not mean that such terms do not exist, only that they cannot be presented to readers on the basis of the available research.

What prospective partners need to clarify

For an interested entrepreneur, the announcement may be a reason to start a conversation, but it is not enough to support an investment decision. Before assessing a potential partnership, prospective partners should request a written description of the business model, a breakdown of responsibilities and an overview of financial obligations. In particular, they should clarify how the experience gained in Split and Zagreb will be transferred to future franchise locations.

Other useful questions concern the operating territory: how locations are selected, what avoiding competition between clinics means in practice, and whether contractual territorial protection is offered. These are points to investigate, not published features of GBB Concept’s offer.

Practical takeaway: GBB Concept has announced a change to its expansion model based on its experience of operating two clinics. Prospective partners should distinguish that confirmed intention from partnership terms and specific openings that have yet to be announced.