How Paris Baguette Supports Its Franchisees

Whether it’s their first or fifth Paris Baguette bakery café, franchisees can expect to receive a high level of support from the corporate team, district leadership and fellow owners. As it has taken on an aggressive growth plan, the 4,000-unit global bakery café franchise has also worked to provide the scaffolding necessary for its local owners to succeed.

“We have a lot of team members who have operated cafés in the past,” explained Mark Mele, chief development officer. “Whether the franchisee is in contact with their new café development manager, the operations team or finance experts, these people have been involved in the growth and operation of successful cafés in the past. They know how to answer any questions and provide experience-backed support as it relates to their current role.”

After signing, each owner receives support from Paris Baguette’s real estate partner to help them secure an optimal site for the café. They also participate in a 12-week training process that covers product education, operations training and guidance on staffing.

Though each franchise owner receives thorough training and preparation prior to opening day, making them fully prepared to succeed, ongoing support and auditing from the leadership team ensures that quality is maintained and Paris Baguette continues to present the image that both the corporate team and local community are looking for.

“We have regular, scheduled visits to cafés for quality control,” Mele explained. “These audits help us ensure that guests are perceiving us the way we want and that our mission of bringing joy back to the community through a neighborhood bakery café is being met. Additionally, we offer regular training inside the bakery cafés, as well as outside the bakery cafés at our HQ, or a regional Paris Baguette facility. We also have annual business meetings to support our franchisees. We have a franchise advisory council that is there to support our franchisees. Lastly, local and regional marketing funds are provided to help franchisees share the concept with potential guests.”

The outcomes of Paris Baguette’s commitment to franchisee support are clear — the brand finalized over 60 new franchise agreements and opened 20 new bakery cafés in the first half of 2023. However, system growth is not the only positive outcome. Paris Baguette also continues to maintain a network of passionate owners that are both pleased with the support they have received thus far and hopeful for the growth of their cafés, thanks to the connection and support they see for the future.

“I have a really good district manager; she helps me almost every day,” said Monica Ye, the owner of two New York Paris Baguette locations. “If I have questions, she answers me within two hours. She tells me what I should do and what I should not do. That’s very important. She has guided me through the entire process, since I’m a newcomer.”

“One of the things our franchisees always key in on is the support — the level of the support they get from our team,” explained Mele. “Whether it’s training or operations, it’s ongoing. Through the development process, they’re supported, but once that ribbon is cut and that door is open, that’s really when dividends start to be paid off in a big way, and we really need to be buttoned up. I think our team does it better than anyone in the franchise business.”

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://parisbaguette.com/franchising/ or https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette.