Why Paris Baguette Is Positioned To Dominate Philadelphia's Bakery & Cafe Scene

Jung Ahn’s journey to becoming a franchisee at Paris Baguette, the international bakery cafe giant with more than 4,000 locations, started years ago and continues today as he shares the joy of his favorite baked goods with his community in Philadelphia. 

In many ways, Ahn’s story mirrors Paris Baguette’s. The bakery cafe franchise has roots that go back to 1945 in South Korea. Since then, the brand has become a dominant force in the neglected bakery cafe area. Now, the brand is building on its old-world roots, with its culinary leads studying French technique in an American university and by offering up its bakery cafes as the backbone of communities around the U.S. The fast-growing brand hopes to open 1,000 locations by 2030, and it’s reaching out to passionate, business-savvy owners like Ahn to make the dream a reality. 

“I’ve loved Paris Baguette since I was a child,” said Ahn. “Growing up, the cakes were the best. For all of my friends’ birthdays or other special occasions, we always got a Paris Baguette cake. My favorite pastry growing up is the peanut crumble bread. Now, I have a great sense of pride owning Paris Baguette because it is South Korean-based, which is where my family is from. Now that I own the University City, Philadelphia location, it’s hard for me to not give everyone I know a birthday cake.”

Owning a Paris Baguette puts Ahn at the center of his community’s celebrations. While most Americans buy their cakes at a grocery store, Paris Baguette excels by having a flexible labor model that employs real bakers, cakers and baristas to tend the shop and produce a week’s worth of baked goods for the display case in a few morning shifts. 

Why Paris Baguette Wants To Grow in Philadelphia

According to Mark Mele, Paris Baguette’s chief development officer, the Philadelphia market is a sweet spot for the globally beloved brand. Mele estimates the market could hold more than 20 Paris Baguettes, each producing 12 or more jobs for the local community. Together, that’s a lot of happy stories like Ahn’s and a lot of bakers and cake makers elevating their craft.

“Our bakery would fit well in the Philadelphia market because there’s very few options that deliver the same quality of handmade, baked fresh daily croissants, baguettes and pastries,” said Mele. “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.”

On that point, Ahn agrees. While other bakeries have abandoned the segment to become more like eateries, Paris Baguette has seized the vacant high ground by doubling down on the best-in-class cakes and baked goods.

“Our pastries are so different from anything else out there,” said Ahn. “I’ve researched the competitors and looked into their business models, and Paris Baguette is hands down the leader in the industry. We’re entering markets that haven’t been tapped before with this type of bakery-cafe model.”

Why Now Is the Time for Paris Baguette in Philadelphia

Right now, the best minds in the restaurant industry are preparing for growth to meet the coming surge of post-vaccination pent-up demand. Not only will celebrations and parties demand cakes from the brand, people will again seek to meet in person in neighborhood locations that honor the bakery cafe tradition. 

Also, there’s a lot of vacant real estate now left behind from more than 110,000 restaurant closures. Additionally, the International Franchising Association predicts 26,000 franchises will be sold in 2021 as many Americans have lost jobs but retain valuable assets like homes and stock portfolios. As for Ahn, he hopes to grow with the brand as well. 

“I absolutely want to open multiple locations with Paris Baguette. I’d love to open another two or three locations in the near future,” said Ahn, who cites Philly’s density of universities as making it fertile ground for expansion. 

ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE:

Paris Baguette is a bakery & café franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The brand first arrived in the U.S. in 2005 and has since established nearly 90 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 https://us.parisbaguettefamily.com/