How a South Jersey Couple Is Opening the Region’s First Paris Baguette

Ami and David Shah are opening bakery café franchise Paris Baguette* in Moorestown, New Jersey, after being fans of the brand for over 15 years. Ami first fell in love with Paris Baguette when she was pregnant with their son, craving pastries and finding comfort in the Edison café. That feeling stayed with her, even as she built a career in IT and engineering.

After years of working remotely and wanting something more personal and community-focused, Ami decided it was time to take a different path. She wanted a place where she could meet people face-to-face, share something she genuinely loves, and create a warm space where families could celebrate small moments together. Paris Baguette, with its consistent quality and welcoming atmosphere, felt like the right place to start that next chapter.

With the support of her husband, David, she chose Paris Baguette as the place to start that next chapter and the couple has already inspired several of their friends to sign on with the brand as well.

The Moorestown café will be the first Paris Baguette in South Jersey, and the Shah family hopes the community experiences the same joy they have felt for years, whether enjoying a morning coffee, celebrating with a birthday cake, or taking a simple break during the day.

Ami Shah: This has been my passion because I’ve followed the brand for a long time. I’m a big fan of Paris Baguette and used to visit the corporate café in Edison. More than anything, I was drawn in because I love the brand

I love their cakes and pastries. I love the ambiance and the vibe of the café. I like to go in, have a sip of coffee, and it makes me feel happy. It gives you an experience. Food has always been my passion. There’s something magical about baking. The aroma and the craft make everything amazing. Serving a customer a nice coffee and seeing them enjoy a warm croissant is a beautiful feeling.

David Shah: This is Ami’s passion. Food has always been Ami’s passion, even when she was in the corporate world. She always had more joy when she went to Paris Baguette. We’re both foodies, and anytime she sees someone being served and smiling, it brings joy to both of us.

We thought, why don’t we start something of our own and give back to the community? With a small business, we can create a lot of local jobs, give back, and contribute to the economy. Paris Baguette ended up being the perfect place for us because it’s where passion and profession meet.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Ami: I had a stable career, and leaving it wasn’t easy. I was in IT; I’m an engineer by profession, and I worked with Deloitte. But starting a completely new chapter with Paris Baguette feels great. I literally gave up my career because of how much I believe in this brand.

David: I started my journey in the United States managing a Dunkin’ Donuts, and I also operated a Taco Bell, so I do have a food industry background. But by profession, I’m an engineer, and I’ve been in IT for many years.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

David: My perception of franchising was that they give you the recipes and basic guidelines, and then you figure out a lot of things on your own. I’ve been part of other franchise systems, so I’ve seen how those operate when you come in. But when we got into Paris Baguette, the level of support and training they provide is on a completely different level. I have no words for it — in a good way.

My team has about 15 employees, and they’ve been in training for the last four weeks. They’re not just baking products, they’re learning how to bake them perfectly. We’re getting trained on details like the exact angle to place a strawberry. It can’t lean downward; it has to be at a specific angle. That’s the level of precision they teach.

When a customer walks in and buys something, and you can deliver that kind of perfection and quality, it creates a feeling that whatever they spent was worth it. You can see the smile on their face. I’ve visited many Paris Baguette cafés, and my perception has completely changed in terms of what a franchise can do and what Paris Baguette does for its franchisees.

It has been an amazing experience so far. I’m very happy with the management and how they run operations. I see great career growth for everyone involved.

Ami: It gives you confidence, knowing you’re heading in the right direction and can fully trust the franchise. I don’t want to speak negatively about other brands, but having been part of other franchises, their training doesn’t compare. Paris Baguette has its own high standards, and the training staff is exceptional.

My husband and I are both part of the training. We go in with our team. I’ve been part of making croissants, learning the coffees, learning the drinks. Whatever my staff is doing, I’m learning it too. Not every owner shows up. Some owners just send their team and trust the process. But being there myself and seeing the trainers gives me extra confidence.

They always say, “If you have any questions, come to us.” Nobody else says that. It’s something very positive.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

David: To answer that question, like Ami mentioned, I’ll give you a little more of the story. When Ami was pregnant with our first child, she was craving sweet food. She tried Paris Baguette for the first time and fell in love with the pastries and everything about the brand. We’ve been having the brand’s cakes and pastries for the last 15 years.

Ami: My son is 14 years old, so I can say that because I was pregnant then. And the taste I tried 15 years ago has been consistent. That gives you a positive feeling about the brand — like, wow, it’s been 15 years and whatever I tried back then still has the exact same quality and perfection.

That’s the beauty of the brand. The brand already has a large global presence, and by 2030, Paris Baguette plans to expand significantly in the United States. They’re growing, and the way they’re growing and supporting their franchisees sets everyone up for success.

At the same time, they’re taking care of customers in a wonderful way. If you’re a customer and you go to the same coffee shop, I won’t name names, you’ll see the exact same menu every time you go. You hardly ever see that menu change.

David: Over here, you have 100-plus items. You will never get bored. Even if you come a hundred times, you’ll always have something new to try. And by the time you’re done with your list, the menu has changed again because now there’s a new seasonal item. We have a new menu for Thanksgiving, a new one for Christmas, a new one for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and people enjoy that.

And we enjoy, as a brand, being part of someone’s joy. For example, if you have an anniversary and you buy a cake from us, we’re part of that celebration. It brings a big joy to me knowing we are part of someone’s special moment and helping put a smile on their face.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

David: We’re not focused on money. We believe in giving back to the community. Our team includes employees from diverse backgrounds. Some are students, and others come from different communities, and we are committed to giving everyone an opportunity to grow. We want our neighbors and our team to feel supported. They feel like family more than employees. We don’t treat an employee like “just an employee,” and that makes us unique in terms of how we want to grow.

For growth, I want my team and my employees to grow with us because, as I mentioned, they’re family to me. The way we see success is by creating jobs and contributing as a small business. In America, small businesses are the number-one job creators, so we’re doing our part by hiring people in our community. As we grow, we’ll create more jobs and give back even more.

Our growth plan is to expand. Construction in Freehold is about to start, and the permits are already filed. We have 18 more locations lined up and are planning to build a strong corporate environment where we can grow together.

Ami: We both love talking to people and consider ourselves people persons. In my IT job, I work remotely, so it is mostly home-based, and we both work from home. I am really looking forward to this business because it allows us to serve people and give customers a unique experience, which is something we truly enjoy.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

David: My advice for other franchise owners is this: If food is your passion, if hospitality is your passion, there is never a wrong time to jump into franchising. We’ve already inspired several of our friends who have signed with Paris Baguette after following our lead, and they’re opening multiple locations. Compared to other franchise systems, I give a big thumbs up and kudos to the Paris Baguette team for the wonderful job they’re doing and the amazing team they have.

Ami: We are truly impressed and honestly surprised by the level of support and guidance they provide. Even without a food industry background, and even though many franchisees we’ve spoken with had no prior food or retail experience, you can still open a store and succeed. This demonstrates the incredible energy and assistance we receive from the brand. It is truly outstanding.

With a projected 1,000 bakery cafés in North America by 2030, Paris Baguette is on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community. Paris Baguette serves craveable baked and brewed treats and creates warm and welcoming experiences through a blend of gracious service, expert craftsmanship and community connections. From decisions made behind a desk to smiles offered behind a counter, the desire to spread joy and make the world a happier place drives everything we do.