Multi-Unit Sports Clips Franchisee To Bring Paris Baguette to the Chicagoland Area

Though he worked in the telecom space for nearly two decades, Max Cangelosi says he realized relatively early on that the telecom industry was shifting toward California, and roles in Chicago would likely begin to dwindle. In an effort to get ahead of the curve, Cangelosi began franchising in 2005.

After opening multiple Sport Clips locations and a Style Encore location, Cangelosi was successful enough to transition out of the telecom space and take on franchising full-time. As he searched for his next venture, Cangelosi came across Paris Baguette and was confident that the opportunity could be a strong business venture to focus on and scale.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Cangelosi: I’m currently a franchisee with multiple Sport Clips locations as well as a Style Encore location. Before franchising, I spent 18 years working for a telecommunications company, but moving into franchising wasn’t actually a switch. I worked in both industries for an extended period of time. I started in telecom back in 1998, and in 2005, I noticed a trend of telecom jobs moving to the Bay Area. I wasn’t prepared to move my family, so I wanted to find something that allowed me to stay in telecom while also starting something on my own.

That’s where Sport Clips came in. It was the perfect opportunity for me to continue my telecom job. It wasn’t really meant to grow as big as it did, and I certainly didn’t think I was going to stay in telecom for another 13 years.In 2018, I felt that the franchise foundation was stable enough for me to step away from telecom entirely.  

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Cangelosi: I initially thought franchises were like timeshares. Unfortunately, there are some poorly run franchises that have had profound negative impacts on operators. I started to formulate my own opinions when I was able to speak to existing franchisees about their experiences. Franchisors obviously want to put their best foot forward, but when you talk to the franchisees, they will usually share a more balanced view.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Cangelosi: At this stage, there are a few things that are really important to me in a franchise concept. The first is being able to scale. I love the idea of being able to learn from the first location and apply those learnings to additional locations. Being able to scale resources and marketing will hopefully contribute to improved profitability.

The second factor is the inflection point. There’s this huge spectrum of franchises ranging from Subway that’s fairly penetrated to concepts that have just a few locations. Neither of those models appeal to me. With Paris Baguette, you can see a history of successful growth, but they haven’t yet fully penetrated in the markets I plan to serve. 

Next, I try to associate myself with concepts that seem to have long-term staying power. Some concepts will get a lot of attention for a few years, but quickly fade as customer preferences shift. 

Lastly, the franchise should offer a value that sets itself apart from other brands. The food and ambience that Paris Baguette offers certainly achieves that.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Cangelosi: This is the first food concept I’ve operated so my plan is to immerse myself in the brand for the first year to make sure I’m comfortable with the entire operation. Once that happens, I plan to quickly ramp up the remaining stores so that I can take advantage of the benefits of scaling. 

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Cangelosi: One of my concerns early on was that the product might be limited to certain taste profiles. Luckily, there are some Paris Baguette stores near me that I was able to visit to test that theory.

In one example, I bought a cake from a local Paris Baguette and brought it to my daughter’s high school dance competition. I wasn’t really sure what the response would be, but I knew my daughter and her team would share honest feedback. She told me later that everyone was so wowed by the cake and really loved it. Even though I had done a lot of the research from the business perspective, hearing feedback like hers reaffirmed my decision to join Paris Baguette.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Cangelosi: I would encourage people to talk to the existing franchisees and ask direct questions about their experience with the brand. It would help to have the questions prepared in advance and be sensitive to their availability. If franchisees are not returning your calls, that might be something to be concerned about. 

Also, the FDD can be a great source of information.

ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE: 

Paris Baguette is a bakery café franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The brand first franchised in the U.S. in 2015 and has since established nearly 150 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 café fare. For more information, please visit parisbaguette.com/franchising/.