Paris Baguette’s Selective Real Estate Approach Upholds Elevated Brand Values

Paris Baguette, the French-inspired bakery café franchise, is expanding throughout the U.S. rapidly. Their commitment to fresh-baked goods is a key contributor to guests’ affinity for the brand, but careful strategy and ongoing support from franchise leadership are what have empowered the system to maintain its quality in all arenas through this exponential growth period. This care shines through in Paris Baguette’s real estate requirements and selection process with a team of experts collaborating to support each franchisee in securing the best spot for their specific market.

“In my opinion, securing prime real estate is the biggest decision you’re going to make outside of making the decision to buy the franchise,” said Eric Lavinder, chief development officer. “No matter how great your operations are, if you’re not in the right spot, you’re going to be at a disadvantage. We want an elevated bakery café experience at every single location, and we have to find the right spot to achieve that.”

What Is Paris Baguette Looking for in Their Real Estate?

There are many factors that contribute to a site’s potential value to a Paris Baguette franchisee. Lavinder explained that, generally, a great site is in an area with the right population density and demographics. 

“Ideally, a real estate site is a 3,000-square-foot end cap with outdoor seating,” he said. “It’s in a lifestyle center or an upscale fast-casual center with adequate parking and noticeable signage. We also make sure that any site we choose is in the right spot for other franchisees in that market; it doesn’t help us to secure a seemingly great site that is too close to another existing bakery café.”

While the team has a list of preferred attributes, they are not “putting themselves in a box.” Lavinder said that there are many situations where a site might not meet all the ideal criteria but is still a prime spot for the specific market it is in. For example, a bakery café in South Florida might be slightly under 3,000 square feet with more outdoor seating. Given the climate, the fact that the building is just below the ideal square footage isn’t a deal breaker as many guests will likely choose to sit outdoors.

The team also looks at trends in the area. It could be a red flag if the center is currently home to multiple higher-scale brands that have not renewed leases. If the rent is not reasonable given broader market conditions, the franchisee might want to continue looking. Maybe the franchisee is considering a site that won’t be built for another two years, but it’s a truly unbeatable location; the team can have a conversation about the best path forward.

“The final thing we consider is if the franchisee is happy with the site. Just because we support it with our knowledge and experience doesn’t mean the franchisee is going to want that site,”  Lavinder said. “All of these things have to be factored in, and the final decision is based on a collection of advice from a broker, a real estate team, me, the leadership team, the franchisee, and a set of data and analytics. There are five or six different levels of engagement to solidify the right project.”

How Paris Baguette Contributes to the Ecosystems of the Centers They Enter

Through their tireless search for the best quality real estate and thoughtful approach to development, Paris Baguette has built strong relationships with local landlords nationwide.

“We have great franchisees that run really strong bakery cafés, and we’re bringing something unique to the marketplace,” Lavinder said. “We are a destination, so our brand is a traffic driver for the shopping center. People know that we’re there, and they seek us out.”

Because Paris Baguette doesn’t have any direct competitors in the space, they can enter a shopping center and drive traffic for landlords and cotenants while remaining somewhat neutral. They are not competing with or driving away interest from any chicken, hamburger or pizza joints that may be interested in signing a lease in the same center.

“There’s a big benefit to landlords because we’re taking up 3,000 to 4,000 square feet — we’re not a small café. In some situations, we are one of the bigger tenants,” Lavinder said. “We’re bringing people in, and existing tenants don’t usually have a challenge with us because we’re the complete opposite of what’s already there.”

Through careful real estate selection, Paris Baguette can both uphold the elevated experience they are celebrated for among guests and continue to enrich the experiences of everyone in the communities they enter. As they enhance their local presence, meticulous real estate strategy is empowering a larger growth trajectory and ongoing expansion in the competitive bakery café landscape.

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $652,565 to $1,750,900 including a $50,000 franchise fee. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownaparisbaguette.com or https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette.