Bringing French-Inspired Flavor to Ohio: Franchisee Expands Paris Baguette in Cincinnati and Columbus

New Paris Baguette* franchisee John Hong is excited to bring the bakery-cafe franchise to Ohio with five locations planned for Cincinnati and Columbus. With years of experience in real estate development and managing other franchise brands, he saw Paris Baguette as the perfect opportunity to introduce something fresh and unique to the community.

“I’d been keeping track of the brand’s progress, and I saw how much it had evolved, especially compared to where it was 10 years ago when it first started expanding in the U.S.,” said Hong. “It felt like the right time to seriously consider it.” 

With locations in Cincinnati and Columbus opening soon and three more in the works, Hong is focused on creating a go-to spot where customers can enjoy high-quality baked goods and a great environment. His goal is to make Paris Baguette a beloved part of these communities.

1851 Franchise spoke to Hong about his franchise journey. Here’s what he had to say. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

John Hong: We currently own other franchised brands, specifically full-service brands, in Ohio and Kentucky. As we built up our organization, we realized we had the capacity to take on another brand within the territory. We were looking for something simpler and explored options in the quick-service space.

Being Korean, I grew up with Paris Baguette — it’s a brand that holds a lot of nostalgia for me. I’d been keeping track of the brand’s progress and I saw how much it had evolved, especially compared to where it was 10 years ago when it first started expanding in the U.S. It felt like the right time to seriously consider it.

The brand has grown significantly, both in size and organization, and instead of diversifying with a multitude of brands, we decided to invest in Paris Baguette. We purchased territory in the Ohio market, specifically in Cincinnati and Columbus, areas where we already operate.

Before franchising, I was — and still am — in real estate development. I also practiced as a dentist for a while, but that was about six years ago.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Hong: Instead of creating something from scratch, franchising gives you a template that has been thoroughly worked out and proven to work. It allows you to spend time concentrating on executing the idea, goal, service or product, versus trying to create the products, services and systems yourself.

The focus really becomes execution — not trying to dream up the next great idea. You don’t waste or spend effort there, which is a lot riskier because you don’t know if it’s going to work in the marketplace. With franchising, it’s already been shown to work, so all I have to do is take that system, knowledge and know-how, and go execute and implement it.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Hong: First and foremost, like I said, it’s a childhood brand of mine. I experienced it growing up in South Korea, so I was already familiar with it. Seeing a childhood brand go global and then watching it enter the U.S. market was exciting. I kept track of its progress, already knew and believed in the product and loved it as a consumer from a young age.

Being at a point in my career where I have the knowledge, skill set and resources to help execute the brand’s growth within the Ohio market felt like a dream come true. It was the perfect combination of timing, opportunity and familiarity. I could take a brand that meant so much to me growing up and help bring its vision to life in my territory through franchising.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Hong: Our plan is to build out our five-store territory under the development agreement in Ohio, focusing on Cincinnati and Columbus. Specifically, we’re opening two stores back-to-back — one is opening soon and another is scheduled for February in Columbus. If those stores perform well, we’d like to expand our presence in the Midwest with additional locations and potentially explore other territories as well.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Hong: I feel like I’m a great fit for Paris Baguette. I’m someone who knew and loved the brand — not just from a franchise perspective but also as a customer. And now, I’m in a position where I have the right set of experiences, the right timing and the ability to execute the brand’s vision and bring it to more people. It’s exciting to be able to share the brand I’ve loved for so long and help it grow quickly.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Hong: Take your time selecting brands. Not all brands are the right fit for everyone. A franchise business needs to align with your personality and knowledge base — that’s something I firmly believe. A lot of people jump into franchising thinking that everything has already been figured out by the franchisor, but that’s not usually the case.

There’s often a steep learning curve with industry-specific knowledge. Even though franchisors promise to teach you everything you need to know, having some foundational knowledge can make a big difference. I’m not saying you can’t be successful without prior experience, but it’s definitely easier when the business aligns with your skill set and interests.

If it doesn’t, the learning curve can be steep and it may take longer to orient yourself to the industry before achieving success.

ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE: 

Paris Baguette is a bakery café franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The global brand first franchised in the U.S. in 2015 and has since established over 180 locations in markets across the country, making them one of the premier franchise opportunities in their category. Paris Baguette’s primary mission, executed every day by their expert staff of bakers, cakers and baristas, is to provide guests with a warm, welcoming bakery café experience that creates joy for all. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownaparisbaguette.com/.