Paris Baguette Eyes Dallas Market for Expansion in Its Mission To Sweep the Nation

Paris Baguette, the 4,000-plus-unit global bakery cafe franchise with 90 locations across the U.S., is looking to save the nation’s dwindling bakery cafe space with 1,000 new stores in the country before 2030, and the Dallas market’s Texas’s construction-friendly climate, population and lack of competition in the space makes it a perfect target market. 

Paris Baguette already has a significant presence along the coasts, but just six locations in the American heartland. In Dallas Fort Worth, the brand sees a perfect opportunity to introduce its top-quality breads, pastries and cakes worth sharing, gifting and making time for. 

“Our bakery would fit well in the Dallas Fort Worth market because there’s very few options that deliver the same quality of  handmade, baked fresh daily croissants, baguettes and pastries,” Mark Mele, the brand’s chief development officer said. “In our goal to become America’s go-to bakery cafe, the Dallas market represents one of middle America’s biggest regions with enormous potential for growth.” 

Dallas’ Franchise Growth Opportunity

With nearly eight million people in the rapidly-growing Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area, Mele says the sky’s the limit for how many stores Paris Baguette can open. Plus, as rival bakeries vacate the bakery cafe space and pivot towards becoming eateries, right now represents the opportune time for Paris Baguette to reclaim the mantle of becoming the country’s premier spot for fresh baked goods. 

“Our competitors are moving into new territories, turning their bakeries into eateries and leaving the space wide open,”  said Mele. “Paris Baguette is staying true to who we are. We’re bringing back bakeries that bake in the store daily. Every day we’re making bread, croissants, pastries and cakes. We also prepare sandwiches and salads in the store, but we’re committed to staking our claim as the top neighborhood bakery, and nobody is coming close to our quality.”

The Dallas Fort Worth region, like many U.S. metroplexes , has seen the slow, painful demise of the bakery cafes that used to unite and serve its neighborhoods. So, where are people buying their croissants and cakes? At the grocery store — hardly a place where people congregate and socialize. By offering higher end cakes and baked goods, Paris Baguette can blow past the supermarkets it competes with while also providing a fun, relaxing space for the neighborhood to sit down with friends. 

While other bakery concepts pivot from bakery cafes, Paris Baguette has identified a hole in food service industry offerings. Paris Baguette believes deeply in the importance of a neighborhood bakery cafe where people can enjoy the best of baked goods with a hot tea or coffee. As the pandemic’s grip on American society wanes, people are yearning for the opportunity to spend time in a neighborhood bakery cafe that evokes the delicious old-world traditions like Paris Baguette. 

“We all grew up with that special neighborhood bakery, and that’s sort of dissolved. Paris Baguette’s next major milestone will be becoming America’s neighborhood bakery-cafe,” Darren Tipton, the brand’s CEO said. 

Going Big In Texas

Paris Baguette already has a store about 40 minutes outside Dallas in Lewisville, but the brand seeks potentially dozens of franchise partners to grow across the city and its surrounding areas. As for Dallas, it’s open for business and a great place to grow a brand. 

“Dallas represents an ideal location for Paris Baguette because of its low barriers to entry from a construction standpoint,” Mele said. “Multi-unit developers and multi-unit franchisees from other brands love the fact that you can expand there pretty quickly.”

In Dallas, the fast-growing population and demographic trends make it ripe for a Paris Baguette in every neighborhood. 

“In Texas alone, we can open hundreds,” he said. “If we look at the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, there’s no reason we couldn’t have 10, 15 or even 20 stores in the area, the demographics are there to support that number. If I included Frisco, McKinny, Denton, Plano and Grand Prairie, that’s about ten locations right there. They’re far enough apart that they won’t impact each other either.”

With plans for potentially hundreds of locations across Texas, Paris Baguette has shown how committed it is to developing its place in local communities. Each Paris Baguette location creates 15 to 20 skilled jobs, where locals can learn and perfect the trades of being a barista, baking, making cakes or fine sandwiches and salads and customer service. Often, Paris Baguette’s workers become a local attraction to the stores. Store owners frequently find guests mesmerized by the colorful, innovative, baked goods made by bakers and cakers. . 

Who Can Bring Paris To Texas? 

Paris Baguette is looking for skilled entrepreneurs with a passion for providing top quality goods and a friendly neighborhood bakery cafe space for the locals.

“We’re looking for franchisees that, number one, have a business background,” said Mele. “Perhaps they ran a successful business in the past, and all the better if it was a restaurant brand.”

But while the Paris Baguette concept is a proven money maker in an in-demand segment, Mele said it’s a business opportunity only for hands-on owners.

“From an operations standpoint, we want engaged owners keeping a pulse on the business with multiple units,” said Mele. “They’re not going to be working in the facility as the general manager, but if they want multiple units they’re going to have to oversee those units actively. It’s still possible for someone to open a single unit if we find the right person, but our preference is multi-unit deals.”

As for net worth requirements, Paris Baguette requires franchisees to have $500,000 in Liquid Assets and $1,500,000 in Net Worth. Paris Baguette prefers multi-unit franchisees that can quickly build out a market, raise brand awareness and grow with the brand as people learn about the joys of a neighborhood bakery cafe. 

With flagship, standalone locations and nontraditional locations like malls, university campuses and transportation hubs an option, Mele said Paris Baguette can find a location for any aspiring franchisee, as long as they have the drive. 

“You have to have a passion for people and a passion for the business we’re doing on a daily basis. It’s about delivering happiness with our baked goods. It’s a high-end product and people realize that when they come in,” said Mele.”  

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 numbers of stores you plan to develop. For more information on franchising with Paris Baguette, please visit https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/