5 Reasons To Buy a Paris Baguette in 2021

Americans might not be able to travel to Paris right now, but they can recreate the experience by visiting a local Paris Baguette, where they can watch French pastry chefs at work, sip cafe au laits and indulge in fresh daily croissants, pastries and — bien sûr — baguettes. 

With more than 4,000 stores worldwide, the internationally beloved bakery cafe is well-positioned to fill the growing gap in the bakery cafe space, thanks to its niche focus on the art of baking and — like any local boulangerie — the community it serves.

Here are five reasons to consider buying a Paris Baguette franchise this year:

Sharing Moments of Joy with Customers Works 

Emulating its namesake city, where “bread is life,” Paris Baguette’s concept involves hiring skilled bakers, cakers and baristas to demonstrate their expertise live — Cake Boss-style. 

After a year of COVID-19 isolation, the brand’s guest-focused model is especially appealing right now, says Paris Baguette Chief Marketing Officer Pete Bell. “All of our values as a company are centered around sharing moments of joy, and that’s something that was especially important to people last year,” Bell says. “We’re not just sharing joy with our guests by providing amazing items and experiences, but we are also giving them a way to share joy with their loved ones, whether through a beautiful cake for a celebration or even just a perfect cup of coffee and a croissant for breakfast. You can’t discount how much those moments mean to people.”

Great Market Availability 

At a time when competitors are vacating or expanding to full-service operations, Paris Baguette remains committed to its small footprint, grab-and-go model. The franchise opened 20 new locations last year and aims to reach 1,000 across the U.S. over the next 10 years.

“Other brands are trying to do too much,” says Chief Development Officer Mark Mele. “They’re losing their focus, and a lot of those brands suffered during COVID-19 when the consumer landscape shifted.”

No Need to Rely on Off-Premise to Survive

While the franchise does offer a number of off-premise options, including catering and online ordering, sales through those channels accounted for only 5% of the brand’s overall sales for 2020. With an average unit volume of $2,235,198, Paris Baguette’s secret sauce is its loyal customers who make the bakery cafe part of their daily ritual. A big part of the fun? Watching accomplished pastry chefs at work while enjoying the fruits of their labor.

“What we found is that most of our guests really appreciate the act of visiting a store, seeing the beautiful cakes and pastries and picking something out,” says Bell. “It’s a genuine source of comfort for many people.”

Ideal Investment for Entrepreneurs Looking to Grow 

Paris Baguette’s business model and fee structure streamline operations for multi-unit owners, making it an ideal investment for franchise entrepreneurs looking to grow quickly. The brand offers a number of incentives for multi-unit franchise deals. For example, if a developer signs on for a minimum of four units in an area, the initial franchise fee drops from $50,000 to $40,000 for the first store. Developers will then pay $20,000 per store under the Area Development Agreement plus a $20,000 franchise fee per store, equating to a $10,000 saving on each store. 

Early Bird Lifestyle

The early bird gets the worm, and for Paris Baguette franchisees, the early bird also gets to go home early.  “We start at 4 a.m. then leave at noon,” says Sean Kim, who owns a Paris Baguette in McLean, Virginia. “I feel like there are people who are in that position who love it and want to stay.” While the brand is looking for engaged owners with a passion for providing top-quality goods, they’ll provide the recipe for success, making sure franchisees are equipped with everything they need to give customers a ‘très belle expérience.’

ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $709,193 to $1,386,292, including a $50,000 initial franchise fee. If you enter into an area development agreement, you must develop a minimum of four stores and, in addition to the total investment, you will be required to pay an area development fee equal to $20,000 multiplied by the number of stores you plan to develop. For more information on franchising with Paris Baguette, please visit https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/