South Korea’s Paris Baguette, the bakery café restaurant chain with 4,000 units worldwide including nearly 150 in the United States, will be adding new locations in Michigan, one in Plymouth Township and one in Dearborn. Exact dates of the openings have yet to be released.
“We are thrilled to announce additional expansion within Michigan. There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity in the bakery café space,” says Mark Mele, chief development officer for Paris Baguette America. “No other bakery café franchisors are doing what Paris Baguette is on the same scale. Our ability to stay true to our bakery café roots while embracing aggressive expansion has garnered attention, and that only serves to drive us forward.”
The Plymouth Township and Dearborn deals will bring the total number of locations in Michigan to three — Paris Baguette operates at 183 N. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham.
The franchise agreement for the two new sites was signed by Moe Zahr, who is 26 years old.
“When looking for the right franchise opportunity, Paris Baguette was the ideal fit because of its amazing product line, store design and proven response from communities throughout the United States,” says Zahr.
Moving forward, the brand aims to add 1,000 franchises within the U.S. by 2030, and as it continues to grow, Paris Baguette is seeking people to be franchisees.
“We want someone who is going to take the time to put the right staff members in place in their store and ensure everyone understands the most important person is the guest,” says Mele.
Within the $17 billion bakery segment, Paris Baguette says it differentiates itself by offering breads, cakes, and pastries made fresh daily, unlike many other concepts that primarily offer soups, salads, and other pre-made goods.
For franchisees looking to break into the industry, Paris Baguette provides brand recognition, guest offerings, and franchisee support while maintaining its commitment to following a bakery café model. In 2023, Paris Baguette aims to sign 160 franchise agreements and open 64 new cafés.
Target markets for the coming year include Michigan, Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
The brand will continue its development in New Jersey and New York and expand in some additional states in New England, including Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“We are on track to enter 45 new markets and open a total of 64 units by the end of 2023,” said T.J. Rogers, franchise sales manager. “Even throughout the pandemic and its aftershocks, we did not shy away from opening additional units and exploring new markets. With great year-over-year revenue increases and a persistent interest in the brand from franchisees and consumers alike, we expect nothing but a strong continued growth trajectory for the brand.”
