Why I Bought: How Wen Li Became the Owner of Multiple Paris Baguette Bakery Cafés

Wen Li, a multi-unit franchisee with global bakery café franchise Paris Baguette, first learned about the 4,000-plus-unit brand in her home country of China. According to Li, Paris Baguette is a beloved brand around the globe, and it’s loyal customers praise its fresh, high-quality offerings.

“This is such a strong brand,” she said. “Paris Baguette is everywhere and everyone loves it.”

That’s why Li decided to invest in the Paris Baguette brand, which is currently expanding throughout the U.S. Now, Li owns three locations in Northern California — and she hopes to open several more.

“Paris Baguette bakes everything fresh every day in the morning,” said Li. “And I love that they offer new pastries, drinks or sandwiches every quarter. I wanted to be a franchisee with this brand because I know the company will support me. I only take care of the customer and the quality. And I want to buy at least six or seven more locations in the future.”

Li loves being within driving distance of each of her Paris Baguette locations, and she visits each one every day.

“With my first location, I worked non-stop seven days a week,” she said. “I learned everything from baking to working in the front. Now, every day I go to my three stores and check the products and the operations. I check which items are popular and add more or cut them accordingly.”

That dedication is exactly what Paris Baguette looks for in a prospective franchisee, said chief development officer Mark Mele.  

“We want franchisees who have that passion and want to take over a particular area, where their cafés can be contiguous to one another,” said Mele. “That sets them up for success from a marketing perspective, an operations perspective and in many other different ways.”

Perhaps Li’s favorite thing about being a Paris Baguette franchisee, though, is that the experience has helped her gain more confidence.

“When I step into each of my stores, I feel so proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished,” she said. 

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $709,193 to $1,386,292, including a $50,000 initial franchise fee. If you enter into an area development agreement, you must develop a minimum of four stores and, in addition to the total investment, you will be required to pay an area development fee equal to $20,000 multiplied by the number of stores you plan to develop. For more information on franchising with Paris Baguette, please visit https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/.