Arturos plans expansion and refurbishment in Venezuela for 2027

Arturos is preparing an investment plan for 2027 that will combine new openings with restaurant modernisation in Venezuela. The chain, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and operates around 81 outlets, aims to reach between 200 and 220 restaurants over the next five to ten years, according to a Bloomberg Línea report published on 14 October 2026.

A long-term target, not an expansion to be completed in 2027

The announcement sets out two timelines: the investment plan the company is drawing up for 2027, and an expansion of its national network that will take between five and ten years. The target of reaching between 200 and 220 restaurants therefore does not apply solely to the coming financial year.

Although the company describes its ambition as an intention to triple its footprint, the specific range disclosed gives a clearer sense of the project's scale: growing from around 81 outlets to more than 200. That would mean adding more than 100 restaurants, as well as upgrading a substantial proportion of its existing sites.

Javier Rodríguez, Vice-President of Innovation, explained during an anniversary presentation in Caracas that the investment would run into millions of dollars. Including the longer-term national expansion brings the estimate into the tens of millions. However, the final amount has yet to be settled: Arturos expects to present its formal plan between late 2026 and early 2027.

Refurbishment will play a central role

The strategy is not limited to increasing restaurant numbers. Arturos estimates that between 60 and 65 outlets still require refurbishment, making this a central part of its planning for 2027.

Investment needs vary by format. The network includes standalone sites, restaurants within other commercial premises and food court outlets. According to the company, this mix means that the scope and cost of the work will differ from site to site.

Arturos has already begun work at several locations during 2026. Refurbished restaurants include those at Sambil Maracaibo, Sambil Valencia and Sambil La Candelaria, while work continues elsewhere across the network.

At the presentation, the company also announced plans to open two new outlets, followed by another three before the end of the year. These are planned openings, not confirmation that all five sites are already trading. The combination of refurbishment work and new restaurants shows that restoring the existing network complements, rather than replaces, the growth objective.

A change of ownership set the scene

This new phase follows Protinal Proagro's acquisition of Arturos in 2023. The deal brought the chain into a business group active across several segments of the food industry; the purchase price was not publicly disclosed.

According to Bloomberg Línea's report on that transaction, the network had around 75 restaurants at the time. The company's current figure is approximately 81 outlets, still some way short of the scale it hopes to achieve in the coming years.

The announced strategy combines competitive pricing, menu innovation and restaurant refurbishment. For those following Venezuela's franchise market, it offers an example of a growth strategy that allocates resources both to expanding the commercial footprint and to updating existing sites. However, the announcement does not set out any recruitment drive for new franchisees or investment terms for third parties.

Venezuela is the immediate priority

International growth remains part of Arturos' plans, but it is not an immediate priority. The company had considered entering the United States, Mexico and Brazil; in 2024, it decided to pause those projects to focus resources on restoring its Venezuelan network.

The pace of domestic openings will now depend on the final plan and the company's ability to finance and deliver the work. The next concrete milestone will be the announcement of the final investment amount, expected between late 2026 and early 2027.

Practical takeaway: when assessing the announcement, distinguish between the openings planned for 2026, the budget still to be finalised for 2027 and the restaurant target over five to ten years. None of these milestones, on its own, constitutes a franchise offer.