Forbes Highlights Paris Baguette’s Rapid U.S. Expansion

While the pandemic was a smack in the face for many restaurant brands, Paris Baguette, the global bakery-café franchise, saw more people wanting to visit locations, and sales increased as restrictions lessened. Paris Baguette, with over 4,000 units globally, is owned by the SPC Group, a South Korean-based company that manufactures food and bread products, and also owns BR Korea, a donut and ice-cream chain.

“We didn’t do anything differently” explains Mark Mele, Paris Baguette’s Chief Development Officer, who says sales spiked an impressive 44% in year-over-year sales in the U.S. in 2021. “It wasn’t due to Doordash or delivery sales. It was people coming to the cafés, and we were more of an indulgent brand.”

In 2021, Paris Baguette opened 10 stores in the U.S., and five more are slated to open in 2022, with ambitious goals to open 56 by the end of the year. Year-over-year sales spiked an impressive 44% in the U.S. in 2021 and part of what has been prompting this expansion has been a rise in sales in the U.S.

“SPC Group wants us to have 1,000 units by 2030”, says Mele. “Everyone has to be on board, including creating processes for franchise sales, real estate, construction, and design. If you put them all together, you’ll be able to scale.”