1851

Baccar Ennayal and his wife migrated to the U.S. in 2010, and began pursuing degrees and careers. However, having come from a French-colonized country with heavy French cultural influences, the duo quickly noted a lack of true, French-style baked goods in their area.After finding success with an independently owned restaurant in the Tampa area, the pair began to look into franchising with Paris Baguette* to bring its baked goods to their community. With a franchise agreement signed for one unit, Ennayal says he looks forward to growing to become the community’s go-to local baker.1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us.&nbsp;What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Ennayal:&nbsp;My wife and I first migrated to the U.S. back in 2010. I was a student when we came, and I completed an MBA in Kansas City, Missouri. Once I graduated, I got a job offer from a large engineering firm in Tampa, so we moved. I worked there for about eight years, then opened a restaurant with my wife. I wasn’t quite ready to move into self-employment.Since then, we got settled in Tampa, and I was hired at a large law firm. I worked there for about three years before we decided to take the restaurant on full-time. It supports us and our family. We’ve come a long way from migrating and working toward a master’s degree to working in big firms and, now, finally being independent.When we first migrated here, I didn’t make enough. It was not even paycheck to paycheck; I was really relying on family to send me money to finish out each month. Everything I made, I put back into the restaurant. Ultimately, things worked out for us. When things settled down after COVID, we decided to go all-in with Paris Baguette.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?Ennayal:&nbsp;We did our due diligence. Prior to that process, we had a general understanding of how franchising works but knew we would need to find the details.The big thing that I would advise people to do is to consider whether you have the right mindset. You have to be open and understanding. With your own business, you don’t have anyone overseeing the processes. You’re on your own. With franchising, that's different.It’s a positive thing because, when you’re on your own, you tend to mess up. There’s no one to hold you accountable, and you stumble your way through things as you go.With franchising, yes, you have to pay a franchise fee. But you have someone that will hold you accountable, oversee the quality and give you the ropes to guide you through the process.Another thing to consider is that, when you go through the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), you need to understand it and read it very well. I highly recommend calling as many people as possible during that due diligence process.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Ennayal:&nbsp;The concept, food quality and expansion rate were all reasons that made us confident in Paris Baguette. And, in Florida, as of now, we don’t have a location.&nbsp;What stood out was that Paris Baguette tends to compete with everybody in the industry, but nobody competes with Paris Baguette; they have that niche.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Ennayal:&nbsp;Ultimately, we’re starting with the Wesley Chapel location, but our long-term plan is to expand into the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida. We want to be able to provide that local bakery experience where people come and choose whatever they want. We’ll be the local bakers.1851:&nbsp;What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?Ennayal:&nbsp;My wife and I come from a French-colonized country, so there’s a lot of French culture. Down in Florida, as far as we know, there aren’t many bakeries that do things right, according to French standards.When we went on a trip to New York, we were searching for pastries and cakes. We stumbled across Paris Baguette. It was a really nice experience, and we thought, “Why don’t we bring that concept here?” That’s when we started looking into franchising.1851:&nbsp;What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?Ennayal: You have to do your due diligence, and you need to consider your mindset. I’m doing a franchise now and also own the independent restaurant, and it’s very different. In franchising, you have to be okay with being held accountable by someone.ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE:&nbsp;Paris Baguette is a bakery café franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The brand first franchised in the U.S. in 2015 and has since established nearly 150 locations in markets across the country, making it one of the premier franchise opportunities in its category. Paris Baguette’s primary mission, executed every day by its expert staff of bakers, cakers and baristas, is to share moments of joy with customers and help customers share moments of joy with their friends and family by providing world-class cakes, pastries, coffees, breads and other French-inspired bakery café fare. For more information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://parisbaguette.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=local-businessman-and-restaurant-owner-signs-to-bring-paris-baguette-to-the-tampa-bay-area-2722818" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">parisbaguette.com/franchising</a>.&nbsp;

Local Businessman and Restaurant Owner Signs To Bring Paris Baguette to the Tampa Bay Area

1851 Franchise

Baccar Ennayal secured an MBA and worked for both large engineering and legal firms before breaking into the restaurant space. After recognizing a gap in his local market, he inquired about franchising with Paris Baguette.

local-businessman-and-restaurant-owner-signs-to-bring-paris-baguette-to-the-tampa-bay-area

Image Studios

IMAGE Studios Celebrates Record Growth in 2025 With 35 Openings and 50 Units Awarded

image-studios-franchise-growth-2025

Dillas Quesadillas

Design with photo of Michael Mabry and Dillas Primo Quesadillas logo

Franchise Times: New Franchise Exec Says Dillas Is Bringing ‘Excitement’ Back to QSR Category

michael-mabry-franchise-growth

Lawn Squad

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad 

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad as a Treatment-Only Lawn Care Franchise

lawn-squad-franchise-opportunity

Jollibee

How Jollibee’s Veteran Leadership Team Is Rewriting the Playbook for U.S. Expansion

franchise-leadership-growth

Woodhouse Spas

Photo of guest checking in at Woodhouse Spas reception desk

franchise-questions-answered

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

Round Table Pizza Franchisees Take FAT Brands to Court Over Marketing Fund Mismanagement

round-table-pizza-franchisees-take-fat-brands-to-court-over-marketing-fund-mismanagement

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Eli Cohen, Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

C5 Restaurants Grows its Texas Footprint with 40 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Planned Statewide

eli-cohen-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

image of stephen westerman and matthew westerman, owners Fort Walton Beach Two men and a junk truck

Twin Brothers Move From Managers to Owners with New TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK Franchise on the Gulf Coast

twin-brothers-two-men-and-a-junk-truck-fort-walton-beach

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

What Makes Mellow Mushroom a Strong Franchise Investment? Insights From the Panos Family’s Metro Atlanta Portfolio

mellow-mushroom-franchise-panos-restaurant-group-metro-atlanta

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

Paris Baguette Welcomes Zac Sulma as New Chief Operating Officer

new-coo-zac-sulma

Local Businessman and Restaurant Owner Signs To Bring Paris Baguette to the Tampa Bay Area

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS