As Paris Baguette Sets Ambitious Expansion Goals, The Bakery Café Brand Targets Lifestyle Centers, Downtowns and City Centers For Development

Paris Baguette, the 4,000-unit bakery café powerhouse, is only just getting started in the U.S. After launching here 10 years ago, this global chain has grown to nearly 100 stores nationwide, giving it a lot of room to grow. 

In fact, the brand has started to rapidly expand in major cities and suburbs, and not even a pandemic has stood in its way. Despite the challenges 2020 brought to the restaurant industry, Paris Baguette took off in the U.S., setting sales records and also preparing to open a record number of stores. 

The brand’s development team is targeting multi-use lifestyle centers and shopping plazas as its ideal locations, particularly in areas where people may need a cup of coffee on the go or a quick lunch but with made-from-scratch cuisine.

“Brands go to where the customer exists,” said Mark Mele, Paris Baguette’s chief development officer. “We’re looking for the best marketplaces with lifestyle centers where people are choosing to work, live and play,” he said. 

The brand opened more than 15 U.S. locations last year, and started 2021 with 25 signings in the first three months. Now the franchise wants to reach 1,000 units across the U.S. over the next 10 years, with 35 projects currently in the pipeline and additional franchise agreements in place.

Because of its relatively small footprint and flexible configurations, Paris Baguette stores are able to fit into many different configurations, including free-standing buildings, two-story office buildings and inline retail spaces, including grocery-anchored stores.

To find the right locations, the company uses a data-driven approach. Working with commercial real estate brokers like CBRE Commercial Real Estate Services, the brand harnesses research and software technology that analyzes consumer preferences, income and a myriad of other factors to help it find the right spots.

“This data helps us look at what’s needed to increase our success in a market,” said Mele. “By finding the right customers, we can find the right location.”

Another way the company is able to find the right location is through using data from its existing successful stores. By understanding the role the Paris Baguette brand plays in the daily lives of its best customers, it’s able to go to a new market and find customers who have the same traits. 

Recently, the brand has opened locations in busy locations in Manhattan, Long Island, and has its eye on areas in Denver, Chicago and other suburban and urban areas.

Sean Kim, who owns a Paris Baguette in McClean, Virginia, a D.C. suburb, thinks his location on the ground floor of a busy office building is perfect for the brand. As a hub of government workers, politicians and contractors, Kim says his location has been successful thanks to foot traffic and its convenient location for those who need a bite on the go, even during the pandemic. 

“I was surprised by all the diversity when I first moved here,” said Kim. “People love our pastries, breads, cakes, sandwiches, and coffees. It’s an international trend.”

A first-generation American who moved to the United States with his family in 1997 and an entrepreneur with two restaurant concepts of his own, Kim said he was attracted to the Paris Baguette brand because of its overall quality and high-end aesthetic. 

Today, Kim is already thinking about expanding. “I have the urge to open another one because the product is excellent. I want to explore another location around here,” he said. 

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $709,193 to $1,386,292, including a $50,000 franchise fee. If you enter into an area development agreement, you must develop a minimum of four stores. For more information on franchising with Paris Baguette, please visit https://parisbaguettefamily.com/.