Paris Baguette Looks Forward To 2022 After Signing 121 Franchise Agreements in 2021

Bakery café concept Paris Baguette has reported enormous success with its U.S.-based franchisees in 2021, signing 121 new franchise agreements among new and existing franchisees. Now, the brand is looking to carry that momentum into 2022 with an even more ambitious plan for growth.

“We are excited by the agreements that were signed this year,” said Mark Mele, chief development officer at Paris Baguette. “Our goal is to bring back the neighborhood bakery café in every town and city, and our growth in the United States shows that we are making great headway in reaching that goal.”

Of the 121 franchise agreements signed in 2021, 42 of those were brand new franchisees who have bought into the Paris Baguette concept of creating a joyful experience for customers.

As for Quarter 4 for 2021, Mele said there are approximately 250 leads for Paris Baguette franchise locations. The brand is currently working on 12 applications and the pipeline of active prospects is 45-60, all of which are in various stages of the process.

While Paris Baguette continues to expand with a 10-year goal of reaching 1,000 U.S. locations, Mele said the brand is looking for franchisees who are passionate about serving people in a neighborhood establishment.

“We want someone who is going to take the time to be present in their store and be caring with the staff so that everyone understands the most important person is the guest and how they perceive us when they stop in for a visit,” said Mele.

Paris Baguette is targeting several markets in 2022, and has a goal of signing 150 franchise agreements and opening 56 units. Mele said target markets for the coming year include: Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He added that the brand will continue its development in New Jersey and New York and will expand in some additional states in New England including Connecticut and Massachusetts.