Franchise Times: IHOP Franchisees Plot Expansion of Paris Baguette in Kansas

After successfully opening a Paris Baguette in the Detroit area, 13-unit IHOP franchisees have decided to diversify their portfolio with the signing of two Paris Baguette locations in Kansas. On the heels of an extremely successful opening in Birmingham, Michigan, Mike Issa, and business partner Moe Touffaha have signed with the brand to bring the first Paris Baguettes to Wichita, Kansas, in July 2022 and Overland Park, Kansas, in 2023.

“We walked in and liked it from our first impression,” Issa said. “We tried the product, and it became a sensation for us. Whenever we went to a place with Paris Baguette, we ended up going there, so we started thinking of franchising it and bringing it to the Midwest.”

Issa and Touffaha started franchising with IHOP in 2005. Aiming to diversify, they came across Paris Baguette a few years ago in New York. The business partners went to work to open their first location in Michigan. They invested roughly $650,000 to start the Michigan site, which has been open for about four months.

“It’s doing fantastic,” Issa said. “We’re very impressed with the outcome in terms of customer reaction and the way they like the product. It’s everything we expected.”