Why This Doctor Became a Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe Owner

Dr. Jerry Lee, a physician who has owned medical practices and assisted living facilities for nearly three decades, is the newest franchisee with Paris Baguette, the 4,000-plus-unit global bakery café powerhouse. When Lee started pursuing other career opportunities, he was drawn to Paris Baguette because he knew it would bring something unique to his local community in Falls Church, Virginia.

“I was motivated to invest in this brand because it's a startup in the U.S., and I knew it had big potential in this area,” Lee said. “It’s already well known, too.”

And Lee wasn’t wrong — the Washington D.C. area is already home to three Paris Baguette stores (in McLean, Fairfax and Centreville, VA), but there is currently room for more than a dozen more, with each location adding about 15–20 jobs.

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 by providing world-class cakes, pastries, coffees, breads and other bakery café fare. And right now, the brand presents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs wanting to invest in the café segment, because no one other brands are focused on authentic baked goods. And with an easy-to-manage business model, franchisees like Lee can rest assured that they will have a profitable business that offers unique career opportunities for local communities.

One of Lee’s primary goals with his Paris Baguette location is to provide long-term employment opportunities for the community.

“I want to be successful financially, but at the same time, I want younger people to learn life skills at my store,” he said. “I want to provide stable employment for them.”

"Paris Baguette's existing presence in Virginia — plus its global recognition — means that Dr. Lee's locations and future Virginian stores will have instant success," said Mark Mele, chief development officer for Paris Baguette. “And currently, there is potential all over the state for more development.”

Paris Baguette franchisees come from all walks of life, which is another aspect that Lee found appealing, since his entire career has been focused on medical practice.

“I didn’t really have any perception of franchising before Paris Baguette reached out to me about opportunities,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared to go into a food business.”

But Mele says Paris Baguette loves having franchisees with diverse backgrounds.

“We welcome franchisees of all backgrounds, whether they're experienced restaurateurs, QSR experts or even new to the bakery café segment,” he said. “As long as they are committed to our brand and their own success, they'll succeed with Paris Baguette.”

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $528,270 and $1,638,554, including a $50,000 franchise fee. For more information, please visit: https://parisbaguette.com/franchising/