---
title: "Why Now Is the Time To Grow With Paris Baguette"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/2a67483a-ddda-4b9d-950e-e324949eac20
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/why-now-is-the-time-to-grow-with-paris-baguette-2716938
category: "Bakery & breakfast"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Bakery & breakfast"
published: 2021-10-21T21:16:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:14:03.956Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/b13e190780dd4b4b5666628a42dcc47a4446.jpg
---

# Why Now Is the Time To Grow With Paris Baguette

**TL;DR:** Mark Mele, Chief Development Officer of Paris Baguette, believes the brand offers a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs, with plans to open 1,000 cafes in the next 10 years. Wen Li, a multi-unit owner with the brand, discussed the supportive team and strong brand structure.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-10-21. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/why-now-is-the-time-to-grow-with-paris-baguette-2716938).*

## Story

Mark Mele, Chief Development Officer of global pastry powerhouse Paris Baguette, and Wen Li, multi-unit owner with the bakery brand, recently joined 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills for a franchise education seminar, where guests were able to participate in the discussion and ask questions related to franchising with the brand.

Before kicking off the Q&A discussion, Mele shared why he believes Paris Baguette offers a lucrative opportunity for passionate entrepreneurs right now. “We plan to have 1,000 cafés open in the next 10 years,” said Mele. “A lot of local bakeries have disappeared over the years. We’re filling that void. At the end of August, we were at 75 executed franchise agreements, so we are firing on all cylinders.”

Li discussed why she decided to become a franchisee with the brand, emphasizing how supportive the Paris Baguette team has been since the very beginning. “This brand is so strong,” she said. “And I appreciate the support structure. Thanks to the corporate team, I only have to take care of the customers and my employees. I don’t need to worry about anything else.”

During the Q&A session, Mele and Li addressed several questions, covering topics like franchisee cannibalization, menu expansion possibilities and training programs.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- franchise opportunities (topic)
- Nick Powills (person)
- franchisee support (topic)
- Paris Baguette (company)
- menu expansion (topic)
- Mark Mele (person)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/why-now-is-the-time-to-grow-with-paris-baguette-2716938). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/2a67483a-ddda-4b9d-950e-e324949eac20).