Paris Baguette was founded in 1988 in Seoul, employing a franchise model to rapidly expand across South Korea, becoming the country’s leading bakery brand by 2004. Today, its global empire comprises more than 4,000 stores - 3,800 of which are franchises - spread across the US, France, Canada, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
The company’s mission is to reestablish the neighbourhood bakery café as the heart of the community and, as such, has set its sights on opening 1,000 bakery cafés in the US by 2030 and 450 across Europe by 2036.
Paris Baguette made its debut in the UK in June, aiming to establish itself as a leading bakery-café destination for British consumers - with 200 new cafes in the UK by 2036 - by replicating its proven business model.
“We are thrilled to be bringing Paris Baguette to the UK and to be able to share our love of freshly baked treats with more communities,” said Nico Gaillot, chief operating officer of the brand’s UK operation.
“We are seeking franchise partners who share our passion for quality and who are committed to creating unique consumer experiences.
“With the support of Paris Baguette’s management team, our franchisees can expect to achieve success and grow their business.”
The power of the franchise
The company maintains the opportunities for its franchisees are vast, noting that many of its American franchisees are returning for multi-unit deals as they continue to see existing locations produce $5m+ in revenue.
Since first arriving on American shores in 2005, Paris Baguette has established 135 franchised locations. At the end of Q2 2023, the franchise had finalised 66 new agreements and opened 20 new stores.
“We’re climbing toward the goal of 64 cafés opened [and 160 franchise agreements executed] this year and we see a pathway to get there,” said Mark Mele, chief development officer for Paris Baguette America.
“In the second quarter, we opened our first Maryland café and signed a deal for our first cafés in Utah, Minnesota and Connecticut in addition to further expansion agreements in California, Illinois, Virginia, Florida and New Jersey.”
Mele also reported that guest count continues to rise, showing an over 10% increase compared to the first half of 2022. In fact, he claimed that many of the cafés that opened year-to-date experienced record numbers for first-day and first-week operations.
The company’s success is certainly garnering the accolades, securing spots on multiple Entrepreneur rankings, including No 118 on the Franchise 500, No 17 on its Top Franchises for Multi-Unit Owners ranking, No 37 on the Top Global Franchises ranking and No 1 in the Baked Goods: Bakery Cafes category.
The second half of the year is expected to be just as busy as the first. The first North Carolina bakery café is set to open in Raleigh, the second Nevada location has an opening on the horizon and development on a recent Hawaii signing could lend itself to the island’s first outlet.
“I am confident about the remainder of the year. All of our key indicators are looking good, and we continue to stand out to both franchisees and guests in the markets we enter,” said Mele.
Je ne sais quoi
Alongside the rush of franchise development, Paris Baguette has also committed to a store redesign - something Mele believes will drive growth even further.
The 3.0 prototype is designed to create an environment ‘that guests simply want to be in’, with updated mood lighting, a welcoming floor plan, rich colours and an elegant French feel.
“The design is just wonderful. Guests love it, we love it, we think it suits the brand well, but prospective franchisees also really like it,” said Mele.
“The design, look and feel all drive sales, and our new design drives awareness from a guest perspective. It happens all the time: guests turn into prospective franchisees if they’re not already in the business. It’s pretty cool.”
Paris Baguette is currently focused on growth in Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The franchisor is also continuing to develop northeastern markets where it has established a strong brand presence, including New Jersey and New York.
“We are on track to enter 45 new markets by the end of 2023,” said TJ Rogers, franchise sales manager.
“Even throughout the pandemic and its aftershocks, we did not shy away from opening additional units and exploring new markets.
“With great year-over-year revenue increases and a persistent interest in the brand from franchisees and consumers alike, we expect nothing but a strong continued growth trajectory for the brand.”
Grab ‘n go and cocktails
Paris Baguette is piloting a new beverage experience in one of its outlets in Arizona.
The Scottsdale bakery café is currently offering a selection of beer, wine, prosecco and select cocktails - mimosas, espresso martinis, margaritas and bloody Marys - to complement its weekend brunch and late-night dessert menus, along with times inbetween.
In addition to the beverage programme, Paris Baguette is ramping up its quick offerings for those consumers who want to grab a pastry and coffee on their way to work, or a to-go sandwich for a quick lunch.
While these guests don’t spend as much time in the bakery café, Paris Baguette maintains its signature interior design, welcoming feel and food theatre create an elevated grab and go experience.
Elevating the pumpkin
US Paris Baguette cafes are rolling out the new fall menu on 6 September - available until 28 November - which places pumpkin squarely at its heart.
Freshly baked onsite, the limited edition lineup features purees and custards made with real pumpkin, including:
- Pumpkin King Cream Donut: Paris Baguette’s signature doughnut gets a fall twist, topped with pumpkin icing and pecans, filled with pumpkin custard
- Pumpkin-Pecan Pastry: Flaky pastry filled with pumpkin custard, topped with toasted pecans
- Cranberry-Pecan Baked Brie: Brie cheese, pecans and sweet cranberries baked into flaky pastry dough
- Cookie Butter Crunch Layer Cake: Layers of cookie butter cream between vanilla sponge with cookie butter pieces and crisp pearls
- Pumpkin Spice Latte: An upgrade ofthe classic, made with Lavazza espresso and real pumpkin puree and steamed milk, topped with cinnamon (hot or iced)
- Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Brew: Pumpkin puree meets cold brew Lavazza coffee: notes of vanilla, sweet cream and cinnamon
“In developing our fall menu, we are elevating the pumpkin concept to new heights with a wide array of handcrafted seasonal bakery and coffee creations,” said Cathy Chavenet, SVP and head of Marketing for Paris Baguette America.
“By utilising the finest ingredients available, we want to shine the spotlight on the naturally delicious flavours of the fall season. Whether it’s a made-in-house cake or adding pumpkin into your morning coffee and pastry routine, there is something for everyone to enjoy.”
On the savoury side, consumers can enjoy further fall flavours with the Turkey-Apple-Brie Baguette Sandwich, the Smoked Salmon-Cream Cheese Stuffed Croissant, Classic Quiche Lorrainne and 3-Cheese Pesto Pizzetta.
