For Habib Hashimi, the restaurant industry is both a business and a way of life. Deciding to skip his final college credits to dive headfirst into the "real world" of business, Hashimi spent his early career successfully operating and opening multi-unit franchise locations alongside his father. When growth with their previous brand stalled, the family set out to find an exciting new concept with a robust corporate foundation and a highly capable leadership team. They found exactly that in Paris Baguette, the industry-leading bakery franchise. 

Captivated by the brand's beautiful cafe aesthetics and high-quality, accessible products, Hashimi immediately fell in love with what the brand stood for. Now, Hashimi and his father have signed a development agreement to open 11 Paris Baguette franchise locations across South Florida. Guided by a deep-rooted family philosophy that a restaurant should be an extension of one's home, Hashimi is ready to go above and beyond to build welcoming, community-focused spaces where both guests and team members feel like family.

Hashimi sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss what led him to Paris Baguette. Here’s what he had to say:

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

Habib Hashimi: My dad introduced me to the world of franchising. He started out with two Popeyes units. I started working in one of those units. I was there for about eight or nine months, then moved on to the second unit and was operating both units. We did three grand openings in three consecutive quarters. I handled all the hiring, inventory, marketing, social media, press and community outreach. From there, there was no further growth with that brand, so I told my dad, "Let's look for something else that's exciting, up and coming."

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

Hashimi: I was a senior at Baruch when the pandemic forced everything to shut down. It was then that I realized that practical experience would do more for me than classes would. I ended up stopping all of my classes and throwing myself into the deep end of the franchising world in 2020.

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?

Hashimi: Growing up with a franchising family, I had a pretty positive perception of franchising, and I think franchising is really cool because you decide what brand you want to be a part of. You can come into a brand that has a strong foundation. You basically have a blueprint set and you follow the blueprint. As long as you follow the blueprint as they want you to, it's hard not to be successful.

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

Hashimi: There's probably about five or six Paris Baguettes in my hometown of Long Island. I went to one in Garden City and immediately fell in love with the concept. I really liked the product and the store visuals.

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

Hashimi: We have signed for 11 units in South Florida and I would like to have more. Once we have our locations up and running, we would like to expand into more markets and even start expanding into other areas.

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

Hashimi: My family has really emphasized that the restaurant is an extension of your home. Working in a restaurant, you spend so much time with your team. I know every team member by name, and I know their families. It feels like a second home to me and that’s how I want my staff members to feel. I want it to be very clean and respectful, and I want everyone to handle the food properly. My family in general, for decades, we've had that emphasis on quality of service, on the quality of food, and on making the restaurant as beautiful as possible. My dad, my younger brother, and I are going to do this together and we're going to make it a home run.

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

Hashimi: Do your homework and be prepared. It's not all about how much money you're going to make. You have to research the brand, visit with franchisees, get to know the corporate team, and you have to be ready to invest in a good location.

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 290 locations in markets across North America, 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/.