Paris Baguette

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-kim-243360103/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-helen-kim-paris-baguette-las-vegas-2715926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Helen Kim</a> comes from a family of entrepreneurs. When she first immigrated to the United States from Brazil, Kim’s family started multiple businesses in the retail and restaurant industries, fueling her passion for business ownership. Now, Kim is starting her own business as one of the newest franchisees with <a href="https://parisbaguettefamily.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-helen-kim-paris-baguette-las-vegas-2715926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Paris Baguette</a>, the 85-plus-unit bakery &amp; café franchiseAfter attending baking school and working as a baker at a 5-star resort, Kim discovered the franchise opportunity with <a href="https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette">Paris Baguette</a>, which she says has been her favorite bakery since childhood. A close family friend and three-unit Paris Baguette owner introduced Kim to the opportunity.&nbsp; Now, she is acquiring an existing location in Las Vegas and plans to open three to six additional locations within the next three years. Kim has also signed on as the area developer for the brand in Las Vegas.<h4>1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?</h4>Helen Kim: My parents are immigrants from South Korea.They immigrated to Brazil, which is where I was raised until I finished middle school. When we moved to the United States, we settled in California, which is where I’ve lived my whole life until seven years ago when my children and I moved to Las Vegas.I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, so you could say it’s in my blood. My family has owned businesses in the retail and restaurant industries, and I worked after school in highschool and on the weekends, and it really fueled my passion for building something of my own. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design &amp; Merchandising in Los Angeles, I continued to work in the retail sector until I got married. After that, I stayed at home with my four children. But when they got older, I started showing a lot of interest in baking. It was a totally different path from what I anticipated for myself, but I decided to pursue private baking lessons at the California Baking School and honestly, I fell in love with it. That’s when I knew I wanted to get my hands on a professional kitchen.Seven years ago, we moved our family to Las Vegas, where I became a baker at Aria Resort and Casino, a 5-star retreat in the middle of the city. Since then, I’ve dreamt of opening a bakery of my own.<h4>1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?</h4>Kim: I actually have a very close family friend, Hyung Kook Choi, who owns three Paris Baguettes in California, which is how I initially found out about the franchising opportunity. He spent some time talking with me about franchising and showed me the ins and outs of the brand, which is how I decided this was the right path for myself and my family.<h4>1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?</h4>Kim: I’ve known for quite some time that I wanted to own a bakery. But I knew if I did it on my own, there would be a lot of trial and error, despite my family’s extensive background in business ownership. There would probably be two or three years of relatively no income if I opened up on my own, so franchising seemed like the best option. After speaking with my family friend, I knew that Paris Baguette was a successful franchise with a great business model that I could thrive with.&nbsp;<h4>1851: How did you perform your research?</h4>Kim: I did a lot of my own research throughout the pandemic. I wanted to make sure that the brand would succeed throughout the unpredictable turmoil of the past year. But throughout my time searching online and going to multiple Paris Baguettes, all I saw was a popular brand that kept growing and came out of the pandemic stronger.<h4>1851: Why did you pick Paris Baguette? What excited you most about the potential?</h4>Kim: I really believe in Paris Baguette’s brand. Whenever I come back home to California, my first stop is Paris Baguette because of the quality of the products sold there. I haven’t found that same quality in any other bakery. Every time I visit a Paris Baguette location, there’s a lot of traffic, which allows me to feel comfortable with a brand that I don’t see failing. When I spoke to the corporate team, chief development officer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmele/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-helen-kim-paris-baguette-las-vegas-2715926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mark Mele</a> in particular, I felt it was the best fit. Mele was always available to answer every question I had, no matter how little, and was extremely understanding and hands-on. That's why I not only acquired the Las Vegas location in Spring Mountain but signed on as the area developer for Paris Baguette in Las Vegas as well.The potential with Paris Baguette is endless. I think this is going to be a great adventure, and I can’t wait to get started. One of my first initiatives when I take over full ownership and start expanding is to become the go-to bakery for celebratory cakes. I plan on dropping off business cards and sample cakes to as many businesses and venues as possible so when they’re booking events, I’m on the top of their lists to recommend.&nbsp;I also plan on making the future locations more of a neighborhood bakery. As a seven-year resident of the city, I know that locals don’t want to travel all the way to the strip to get their baked goods. I want Paris Baguette to become a household name and the go-to bakery for residents and tourists in Las Vegas.<h4>1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?</h4>Kim: I plan on bringing the best tasting pastries and cakes to Las Vegas. After I acquire the Spring Mountain location, I plan on bringing at least three more locations. I think the market would handle at least six locations if the brand takes off in Las Vegas like I’m anticipating it will.We’re already looking at real estate for our second location, which will ideally open in the next 8-10 months, and the following two will open in 2022 and 2023. Once I have full ownership of the Spring Mountain location, my dream is to grow the business to $2 million in sales a year. I plan on being extremely hands-on with the business to ensure that dream comes true. My four children will also be involved because I want to teach them about business and be a part of my growth, which I hope to pass on to them in the future.I love everything that Paris Baguette has to offer, but I’m really excited to focus on the new menu and items that corporate plans on rolling out.<h4>1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?</h4>Kim: My first thought is don’t be my competition. Just kidding. In all seriousness, my biggest piece of advice would be to ask every question you have. A lot of people say that no question is a dumb question, and that is the absolute truth when you get into franchising. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the corporate team because they’ll be a large part of your success as well. You should also talk with other franchisees to learn about their experiences.&nbsp;<h4>1851: What do you do in your personal time?</h4>Kim: Well, I actually told my kids that in the next five years I’m planning to get married. As a wife and mother they were extremely shocked, but I then explained that I’m marrying into the Paris Baguette family. That’s how much I plan to devote myself to my business. I know that I need to work harder than I ever have before to make every dream I have with business ownership come true. So I don’t think I’ll have much personal time in the near future. One thing is for sure though, I’ll never give up my daily yoga.&nbsp;<h4>ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE:&nbsp;</h4>Paris Baguette is a bakery &amp; café franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The brand first arrived in the U.S. in 2005 and has since established nearly 90 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 &amp; café fare. For more information, please visit<a href="https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-helen-kim-paris-baguette-las-vegas-2715926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/</a>.

The Great Franchisee: Helen Kim, Paris Baguette, Las Vegas

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The professional baker is fulfilling her dream of business ownership as one of the newest franchisees with the fast-growing bakery & café franchise. 

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How Two Dallas Couples Turned Coffee Runs Into a Five-Store Paris Baguette Deal

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3 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Alumni to Bring Multiple Paris Baguette Franchise Cafés to the Knoxville, Tennessee area

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Meet the Two Best Friends Opening a Paris Baguette Franchise in Record Time

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Multi-Unit Jimmy John’s Franchisee Brings Paris Baguette to Southwest Michigan After Spotting Untapped Demand in His Own Backyard

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In a recent episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-baguette-and-the-road-to-1-000-restaurants-with/id1448762355?i=1000750526071">“QSR Uncut” podcast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://ownaparisbaguette.com">Paris Baguette</a> Chief Development Officer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-scaccio-83728422">Nick Scaccio</a> sat down with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyklein14/">Danny Klein</a> to discuss the rapid growth the bakery café franchise has experienced across North America. When Scaccio joined the brand in 2020, there were 73 cafés in the U.S. Now, there are more than 290 cafés across the country with hundreds more in development.Scaccio attributes much of this momentum to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/info">Paris Baguette’s</a> unique brand identity that prioritizes the highest quality across a range of freshly-made breads and pastries, fresh sandwiches and salads, handcrafted beverages, and both cake slices and whole cakes. With such diversity in the menu, Paris Baguette is relevant across all dayparts, from morning pastries and coffee to lunchtime grab-and-go items.Over the last few years, Paris Baguette has seen incredible growth, defying industry trends of stalled growth. Scaccio pointed to a people-first philosophy as the primary driver of this growth, emphasizing the importance of a strong partnership between the corporate team and local operators.“How genuine someone is about loving the brand is critical,” Scaccio said on the podcast. “So we talk openly about the menu, what they've tried, which franchise owners they've contacted, and how the conversations went. We meet in person, when and where possible … And then, if there are other businesses, we'll tour and spend time and even meet some members of their team. I think all of that is critical before entering an extremely long-term relationship. We take that very seriously, and we appreciate that our franchise owners do, too.”Looking ahead, Paris Baguette is showing no signs of slowing down. With a goal of reaching 1,000 U.S. units by 2030, Scaccio says he expects to have that number fully accounted for between open cafés and awarded development deals by the end of the quarter. As the franchise continues to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of communities across the country, they’re proving a focus on hospitality and execution remains key to success in competitive markets.Listen to the full podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-baguette-and-the-road-to-1-000-restaurants-with/id1448762355?i=1000750526071">here</a>.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://ownaparisbaguette.com">https://ownaparisbaguette.com</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette.">https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette.</a>&nbsp;

Photo of Paris Baguette CDO Nick Scaccio, Road to 1,000 Restaurants

As the bakery café franchise continues along a rapid growth trajectory, their people-first values and versatile, all-day menu are fueling steady success. 

QSR Uncut: Paris Baguette and the Road to 1,000 Restaurants, With CDO Nick Scaccio

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MOONACHIE, N.J.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://ownaparisbaguette.com/">Paris Baguette</a>, the global bakery café franchise with over 4,000 locations around the world, closed 2025 with incredible momentum, marking their most successful year to date. With 77 new bakery cafés opened, including a new record of fourteen in December alone, 101 leases signed, and nearly 300 development agreements signed,&nbsp;<a href="http://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/info">Paris Baguette</a> has laid the foundation for an unprecedented 2026, and continues on the trajectory to and beyond 1,000 North American locations by 2030.&nbsp;Paris Baguette’s momentum in 2025 was further validated by strong industry recognition. The brand was ranked No. 29 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500?type=multisearch&amp;data1=randomize:false,rankId:f500&amp;sort=f500&amp;sortMethod=global&amp;globalLimit=25">Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500®</a>, earning the No. 1 spot in the bakery café category, a significant jump from No. 42 overall the previous year. Paris Baguette was also recognized on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/paris-baguette-ranked-no-112-in-2025-technomic-top-500-chain-restaurants-report-climbing-over-20-spots-from-prior-year-302548964.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurants Report</a>, ranking No. 112 and climbing more than 20 positions year-over-year, underscoring the brand’s sustained sales growth, operational strength, and expanding footprint across North America.Adding to the momentum, Paris Baguette broke ground on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crbgroup.com/news/je-dunn-construction-crb-break-ground-on-first-paris-baguette-manufacturing-facility-in-u-s?utm_source=chatgpt.com">first North American manufacturing facility in Burleson, Texas</a>, a strategic investment in the brand’s infrastructure designed to support long-term scalability and growth.In late 2025, Paris Baguette also welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-sulma-05540736/">Zac Sulma</a> as Chief Operating Officer, bringing extensive hospitality and multi-unit leadership experience to support the franchise’s scalable growth. In his role, Sulma will focus on enhancing operational processes and strengthening franchisee support across the system.In addition to their footprint growth, Paris Baguette’s financial health remains strong with over five consecutive years of positive comparable sales growth. As they grow both in size and impact, it’s clear Paris Baguette has maintained their unique experience and continues to resonate deeply with the communities they enter.“Reflecting on the past year, it’s clear that, while we’re opening doors, we’re also building the heart of the community,” said CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-tipton-0526324">Darren Tipton</a>. “Reaching nearly 80 new café openings and celebrating our 250th location were two major wins for us, but I’m especially proud of our people. All of our successes are a result of the people behind Paris Baguette, and they prove that we’re operating with more heart and focus than ever before.”The momentum built in 2025 serves as a springboard for continued success through 2026. Paris Baguette is on track to open their 400th North American bakery café this year, a result of 150 planned openings. This ambitious roadmap includes expansion into 10 new U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and territories.While the numbers paint a picture of rapid growth, Tipton remains committed to expansion fueled by Paris Baguette’s core values.“We’re heading into 2026 from a position of incredible strength, supported by an enhanced infrastructure and a pipeline that shows no signs of slowing down,” Tipton said. “Our focus remains on nourishing the communities we serve and spreading joy with each interaction, and we look forward to our continued growth with franchise partners who share our priorities.”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 280 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&nbsp;<a href="https://ownaparisbaguette.com/">https://ownaparisbaguette.com/</a>.

The global bakery café franchise climbs Entrepreneur Franchise 500®, breaks ground on $200M Texas facility, and welcomes new COO Zac Sulma.

Paris Baguette Hits Record 77 Café Openings in 2025, Prepares for 400th North American Location

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MOONACHIE, N.J. —&nbsp;<a href="http://ownaparisbaguette.com">Paris Baguette</a>, the global bakery café franchise with over 280 locations across the U.S., is proud to announce their inclusion in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500">Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500® list&nbsp;</a>for 2026. They were ranked No. 29, up 13 spots from their 2025 ranking, and they were again ranked No. 1 in the Bakery Cafe category. This recognition underscores&nbsp;<a href="http://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/info">Paris Baguette’s</a> commitment to excellence and their dedication to delivering an exceptional bakery café experience that delivers joy across North America.“The Franchise 500 is widely recognized as the gold standard in franchising,” said CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-tipton-0526324/">Darren Tipton</a>. “It’s a recognition of the strength and potential of top franchise systems around the world, and we’re proud to have been included.”Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, which is now in its 47th year, is the industry’s most competitive and comprehensive franchise ranking. Franchises are evaluated on a range of factors, including costs and fees, size and growth, support, and brand strength. Each brand receives a cumulative score based on more than 150 data points. Franchises are then ranked in order of their overall score, providing prospective franchisees with a trusted source to evaluate franchise opportunities.The strength of Paris Baguette’s model is only solidified by their recent growth. In 2025, they opened 77 new bakery cafés, executed more than 100 leases, and awarded nearly 300 development agreements. With a full pipeline and interest growing nationally, they’re on track to open 150 new locations this year alone, which will push them over the 400-unit mark.“We’re committed to continued growth as we work to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community in markets nationwide,” Tipton said. “With freshly baked pastries and breads, artisan cakes, and handcrafted beverages, Paris Baguette offers a level of quality and expertise that fills a vital gap in communities across North America.”To view Paris Baguette’s full profile on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/paris-baguette/335793">https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/paris-baguette/335793</a>. Results are also featured in the January/February 2026 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands.ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTEParis 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 280 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&nbsp;<a href="https://ownaparisbaguette.com/">https://ownaparisbaguette.com/</a>.&nbsp;

Photo of Paris Baguette chocolate cake with strawberries

The global bakery café franchise climbed 13 spots from their 2025 ranking and was again ranked No. 1 in the Bakery Cafe category. 

Paris Baguette Ranks No. 29 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® for 2026

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The Great Franchisee: Helen Kim, Paris Baguette, Las Vegas

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