Broward County Couple Brings Paris Baguette Home to South Florida Community

After years of enjoying Paris Baguette* in other cities, Chris and Kim Shin are excited to bring the bakery-café experience to Coral Springs.

The couple moved to South Florida from California about five or six years ago and began looking for a concept that felt like a natural fit for Coral Springs. Their first location, set to open April 8, is designed to be a go-to café for families and friends, with the kind of experience that keeps people coming back.

With backgrounds in management consulting, e-commerce, and biotech startups, the Shins chose franchising as their path into restaurant ownership. They landed on Paris Baguette because it aligned with their standards and the kind of experience they wanted to build in their community.

Chris sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss his and Kim’s journey with Paris Baguette and why they believe the concept fits Coral Springs and surrounding Broward County communities. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Chris Shin: We came to franchising from business and entrepreneurship, not food service, but the restaurant industry has always been a real interest of ours — and that long-standing curiosity is what ultimately gave us the courage to follow our passion and pursue ownership. I worked in management consulting and at an e-commerce company, and my wife came from a biotech startup background. When we decided to pursue restaurant ownership, we approached it thoughtfully and strategically, looking for the right concept and the right market. We moved to South Florida about five or six years ago, and the food scene felt very different from what we were used to in California. That pushed us to ask ourselves what we were most passionate about, what was missing in our community, what we could execute well and what our neighbors would genuinely be excited about.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Chris: This goes back to our passion about the restaurant industry and wanting to make the change, following our passion and following what we can do well. But we do not have any direct experience owning or running a restaurant, so we immediately turned to the franchising model to first vet that would be something that we would be looking for. It was, and with that said, not all franchises are the same. We researched countless franchise models and brands, and Paris Baguette is something that we found that would fit our needs and our desires.

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?

Chris: Everyone, every franchise owner, is different. What we were hesitant about in terms of the brands that we like — a little bit of our bias — was that franchising would be a little bit boring, although it would provide strong infrastructure and support. But we found, after our experience and research, that Paris Baguette is very far from that bias we had for franchising in general, with its products, rotating menus, a really personable and approachable experience in our cafés, and the overall experience and joy.

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

Chris: We love Paris Baguette’s brand values. We love the product. We love the overall experience, including the elevated café experience. There’s something special for everyone, which resonates with the demographics of Coral Springs. There’s something for kids as they come from their sports activities in the afternoon — there are pastries that they love. For cake lovers, we have amazing cakes and pastries, something for everyone, for families to come and enjoy. The brand prides itself on high‑quality products, which we firmly believe in, that we should serve to our community. There’s really nothing like Paris Baguette in the city of Coral Springs or in its vicinity, so we want this to be where our community can frequent — a gathering space, someplace to share great pastries and cakes with our loved ones.

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

Chris: Paris Baguette is a neighborhood bakery, and we want our neighborhood to thrive from their experience at our anchor café. We hope to nourish the community and just bring some excitement and nourishment to the community. In terms of growth, we want to focus on establishing relationships with the local community first. We want to put all of our energy into doing that and making sure that we do it right, and then from there we are not totally closed to expansion opportunities. But we want to first see how our community responds to Paris Baguette and go from there.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Chris: I would want to highlight the fact that we grew up with the Paris Baguette experience, both in California and also in the DMV area, and also when we travel to New York for personal vacations, etc. It’s an amazing concept that we wish we had here in South Florida and near Coral Springs, mainly in Broward County. We truly, truly believe that this would be something that our community would be excited about. We’re so excited and thrilled to share this experience with our community.

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

Chris: Number one would be really the product-market fit. Think about whether this is a product that you strongly believe will resonate with the local community. Number two: does the franchise model, and specifically the brand model, align with your skill set? Number three: also think about growth opportunities, between the brand and also the market. Is the brand rapidly growing? Do you see an opportunity there? And if so, do you want to be a single‑unit operator, or do you plan to extend into multiple locations and territories? How does that fit into your goals? Those are three things that I would consider.

ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE: 

With a projected 1,000 bakery cafés in North America by 2030, Paris Baguette is on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community. Paris Baguette serves craveable baked and brewed treats and creates warm and welcoming experiences through a blend of gracious service, expert craftsmanship and community connections. From decisions made behind a desk to smiles offered behind a counter, the desire to spread joy and make the world a happier place drives everything we do. Being a neighborhood bakery café means caring about those around us and finding ways to make a real impact. We do so through our "Love Baked In" programs that bring to life our commitment to serving local communities through various charitable programs and initiatives. Paris Baguette is a leader in the hospitality industry with its commitment to creating unique consumer experiences and a network of successful franchisee relationships. For information and to find the Paris Baguette location closest to you, please visit www.parisbaguette.com.