With over 4,000 bakery cafés around the world, Paris Baguette has proven itself to have a highly lucrative business model with in-demand guest offerings. As it delivers a unique French-inspired bakery experience to its guests and loyal fans, Paris Baguette is working to revive the neighborhood bakery café experience in Canada.

“We felt like the bakery café space needed a Paris Baguette,” said Eric Lavinder, chief development officer. “The people in Canada know Paris Baguette, and when we looked at what province or provinces we would roll out in, the natural progression would be to roll into Toronto, Alberta, Edmonton and Vancouver because of that population explosion.”

Paris Baguette already has four cafes presently under construction with a fifth location ready to break ground shortly in the Edmonton market. The team is working hard to have all six (counting presently open Yonge & Sheppard - Toronto) cafes opened by year's end in Canada. Paris Baguette is building strong momentum for its development in the country. Here are five reasons why now is the time to invest in the brand and bring another Paris Baguette bakery café to Canada.

Paris Baguette Stays True to Its Roots, Offering Breads, Cakes and Pastries Made Fresh Daily

While many bakery café concepts have shifted away from the true baking model, choosing rather to use premade or frozen baked goods or shifting away from bakery items entirely, Paris Baguette continues to employ expert bakers and cakers to make its one-of-a-kind breads, cakes and pastries every morning.

For franchisees, this presents a key, and very strong, differentiator. A French-inspired bakery café experience is not one that is easily found in many markets, including Canada. By offering delicious baked goods; a warm, welcoming atmosphere; fresh, healthful grab-and-go meal options; and made-to-order coffee, espresso and tea beverages, local owners quickly create a go-to community hub in their cafès with a range of offerings like no other.

The Paris Baguette Development Team Believes in the Canadian Market and Is Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

All too often, franchisors identify ambitious key markets and rely solely on new franchisees to pioneer the expansion. Paris Baguette believes in the potential of the Canadian market so strongly that it is investing its own development funds into expansion in the country.

Paris Baguette is planning to open its own locations in Canada — something Lavinder refers to as “corporate seeds” — as it replicates a growth strategy similar to the one that drove explosive growth in the U.S. These increase brand recognition in the community and are a testament to the franchisor’s willingness to work alongside its franchisees in a true partnership.

“We did the same thing in the U.S. for years and again, recently, in the U.S. to really energize the growth of the flagship markets around the country,” Lavinder explained. “We just mirrored that. We’re going into Canada with intentions to start in Toronto with a few remarkable flagship-type locations that we’ll put corporate money into and grow from there.”

Both Initial Training and Ongoing Support Are Key Aspects of the Brand’s Growth Plans

Entrepreneurs who partner with Paris Baguette receive both robust initial training, ensuring they understand the ins and outs of the business and feel completely prepared on the day of their grand opening.

Franchisees receive support from the moment they execute the franchise agreement, meaning there is a Paris Baguette expert by their side throughout the real estate selection and lease negotiation process. A brand design team also supports the owner in conceptualizing their specific location, considering the community the franchisee is entering, layout of the site and other relevant factors to ensure the location “flows” once it is built out.

Pre-opening training entails a 16-week program, including three weeks at the brand’s primary facility and another six in a certified training café.

On an ongoing basis, franchisees are partnered with a District Manager and can frequently communicate with other owners in the system to share best practices and work through any challenges in addition to the ongoing marketing and menu development support the corporate team offers.

Paris Baguette Values Its People and Has Developed a Strong Labor Model

It takes passion to create the beautiful breads, cakes and pastries served at Paris Baguette cafés around the world each day, and the franchisor understands that. In addition to robust training to prepare owners for operational tasks and standard business demands, Paris Baguette emphasizes the importance of recruiting, training and retention.

By preparing franchisees to recruit, hire and train the best team members, the franchisor provides the resources local owners need to staff their cafés with individuals who truly care about what they do each day, which, inherently, creates a better experience for the guest.

“Our franchise owners will often note that guests are mesmerized by the bakers, cakers and baristas in the cafés each day,” added Lavinder. “You’re able to get a glimpse of the entire process, and that makes the finished product even more special.”

The nature and schedule of a bakery café operation also provides a bit more employee flexibility. Paris Baguette is open relatively late, but its bakers and cakers come into work early to ensure fresh baked goods are ready at the time the café opens. The early start allows bakers and cakers to end their shifts in the early afternoon, offering afternoon and evening availability that is especially appealing to those with families and young children.

Invest Now Before Prime Territories Are Claimed

Paris Baguette just recently opened franchising opportunities in Canada, and there was a flood of interested candidates. From people who enjoyed Paris Baguette as children and visited U.S. cafés when traveling to those who have been watching the brand’s franchise offerings for years, patiently waiting for it to enter the Canadian market, there is a clear, strong demand for the brand from both consumers and entrepreneurs.

Paris Baguette has experienced exponential growth in the States in recent years, and it is leveraging a similar growth strategy in Canada — positioning itself to grow along a similar trajectory. While the Canadian market can foreseeably support an estimated 100 cafés, inquiring sooner gives franchisees a better chance of securing a franchise agreement in their preferred market with the potential to add more cafés in the vicinity should they desire.

“It’s the right brand at the right time,” Lavinder added.

Restaurant investors and other business owners have recognized the strength of the Paris Baguette model and are ready to invest — a strong testament to the brand as a whole and the potential it holds in Canada. As it continues expanding, Paris Baguette is focused most intently on awarding franchises on the GTA Market in Ontario, Calgary & Edmonton Markets in Alberta and Vancouver and surrounding areas in the BC Market.

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $652,565 to $1,750,900 including a $50,000 franchise fee. For more information, please visit https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguettecanada/info