Newlyweds Open Paris Baguette Franchise to Serve Up Fresh Baked Goods and Community Spirit in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania

Franchisees Drashti and Parth Shroff are thrilled to be bringing Paris Baguette* to Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania. As newlyweds with strong business backgrounds, the couple saw Paris Baguette as the perfect opportunity to make an impact in their community while building something meaningful together. For Parth, who grew up watching his father thrive in the franchise world, the choice to pursue franchising felt like a natural next step. 

“I saw how rewarding it was for [my father], and I always dreamed of building something that would challenge us, contribute to the community, create jobs and deliver quality products,” said Parth. 

Drashti was quick to take notice of Paris Baguette’s store aesthetic and quality pastries. “As a designer, the first thing that stands out to me is the colors and the overall look and feel,” she said. “When I visited the Paris Baguette store in Jersey, I immediately fell in love with it — it's on another level.” 

Now, they’re set to open a bakery café that offers something truly unique to the area — a place where people can enjoy fresh pastries, cakes and coffee in an atmosphere unlike anything else nearby. With their location near local universities and new developments, the Shroffs see a bright future ahead, aiming to build a welcoming space that will serve as a hub for friends, families and students alike. They’re looking forward to watching their business grow as part of the community and are excited to deliver a one-of-a-kind Paris Baguette experience to the residents of Upper Dublin.

1851 Franchise spoke to the Shroffs about their franchise journey. Here’s what they 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?

Parth Shroff: We recently got married. We met in university, where we both studied business, and after graduation, we worked in corporate America — I worked in finance, and she was a product designer, creating websites, apps, and other web products. A few years later, we both moved to remote roles, so we hadn't experienced an in person environment at a professional level. We started looking for something more challenging and hands-on, and franchising felt like a natural fit. My father, now one of our business partners, has been in franchising for decades, though in hospitality rather than restaurants. I saw how rewarding it was for him, and I always dreamed of building something that would challenge us, contribute to the community, create jobs and deliver quality products.

Drashti Shroff: I come from a design background — I'm a product designer. I currently work a full-time job, but business is something I’ve always wanted to do. I also have a couple of small side businesses. But this is something that excites me the most, because we’re selling baked goods, cakes and pastries. Who doesn’t love that, right? So, joining Parth and working toward our collective dream of owning a larger scale business has been awesome.

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?

Parth: I had a pretty good understanding of franchising because my family has been in franchising since I was a kid. The one thing I know about franchising is that it takes away much of the challenge of establishing a business. You get a lot of support from the franchisor, allowing you to focus on a smaller subset of the business and excel there. Franchising gives you an established brand perception and a repeatable, scalable model. For us, it’s like, okay, we have the product lineup, recipes, menu and the operating procedures from other franchisees. Now, it’s really on us to deliver in two key areas: providing excellent customer service and maintaining cleanliness and food quality so our customers keep coming back. 

As franchisees, we’re really focused on operations, which is where we excel. Franchising takes away much of the need for extensive experimentation, which can be time-consuming and may not always fit the market. Here, we have a proven model that’s scalable. Paris Baguette is already international and it’s growing quickly in the U.S. with a goal of 1,000 stores, so it’s clearly a scalable concept. That’s what drew us to franchising — a proven model.

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

Drashti: I love the brand. As a designer, the first thing that stands out to me is the colors and the overall look and feel. When I visited the Paris Baguette store in Jersey, I immediately fell in love with it — it's on another level. 

We love the products they offer as well. Their cakes are beautiful and the pastries are displayed so well on the shelves that it’s just eye-catching. Who wouldn’t want to try those cakes and pastries when they walk into a store with that kind of atmosphere?

Parth: Going back to what I mentioned, we wanted to partner with a franchisor that has a solid foundation in R&D and brand design. With her background in design, [Drashti] instantly appreciated the look of Paris Baguette. The Paris Baguette 2.0 model, which was refreshed recently, just wows anyone who walks in. We’re almost done with our construction, and already, friends and family who’ve visited are blown away by the look and feel. Before they even look at the menu, they’re just taken by the atmosphere, saying, “Wow, I want to come here just for the vibe.”

Paris Baguette has built such a strong foundation, and we receive so much support from them. At the end of the day, we wanted to go with a brand that could provide us with great support, a strong brand presence and an appealing menu so we could focus on the operational side, which is where Paris Baguette really excels.

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

Parth: I think we’re in such a central spot. We’re located in a fast-growing, yet well-established community in Dresher, Pennsylvania, which is part of Upper Dublin Township. We’re really looking forward to serving the neighborhood. This concept is quite new in terms of franchising because when you think of the bakery café model in the U.S., you think of places like Panera Bread or Corner Bakery, which are about 10-15 minutes from us. But what they’re serving is quite different — none of them sell cakes or upscale pastries. They focus more on sandwiches, soups and salads. There hasn’t really been a bakery café with a European style on a scalable level here. You’ll find some local French-inspired places and mom-and-pop shops, but nothing quite like this. So for us, bringing this unique, niche concept to our community is exciting. 

And there’s so much potential for growth here. We’re centrally located between two major Pennsylvania schools — Temple University Ambler in our township, just five minutes away, and Penn State Abington, which is the next town over, about 10 minutes away. There’s a young crowd that might be looking for a place to study, meet friends, and enjoy good pastries and coffee.

Drashti: There’s also new development in our area, like The Promenade, a big retail complex that opened a year or two ago, and a 310-unit luxury apartment building opening next month, just two minutes from us. We see a lot of growth drivers around us, and we’re really looking forward to becoming part of the community, offering people a place to connect. People already come by to check out our “coming soon” sign and tell us how much this is needed here. We’re thrilled to see the excitement from the community and can’t wait to open and grow with them.

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

Parth: I think franchising, and Paris Baguette in particular, isn’t going to be a walk in the park. It’s a larger-scale business with an extensive menu, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We’re looking forward to connecting with the community and serving our guests. Both of us come from corporate backgrounds, and while that was rewarding, we’re excited about building something where we can truly engage with people locally.

For us, it’s about creating a place where people feel welcome — a spot to connect with friends and family, get some work done or just enjoy good food. It’s an all-in-one experience. Right now, we’re at a transition point in our lives. We just got married this year, and opening this business feels like the next big step. It’s definitely challenging at times, but we’re excited for what lies ahead.

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

Parth: Not every franchise is successful, and even the successful ones may not be the right fit for your market. So, first, make sure you do thorough research. We went through hundreds of Franchise Disclosure Documents, researched extensively, visited many stores and spoke to a lot of people. The brand needs to provide strong support, offer a quality product and be something you genuinely like. For us, Paris Baguette stood out because we truly enjoy their product. We wouldn’t want to sell something we don’t believe in.

So, one, do your research. Two, make sure you truly believe in the product because you’re putting your heart and soul into this business. You want to be aligned with the franchisor and feel proud to grow with them. And three, be patient. We started our journey about a year and a half ago, and it took a lot of time, collaboration and understanding to reach this point, working with the franchisor, township, and many other advisors. So, patience is key.

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/.