Paris Baguette Q1 2026: 18 New Cafés Opened & 60 Units Awarded

MOONACHIE, N.J. — Paris Baguette, a top-ranked global bakery café franchise and the #1 bakery café in the 2026 Entrepreneur Franchise 500®, continued its strong growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2026, building momentum across the US and Canada through new openings, accelerated development activity and sustained guest demand.

The brand has achieved six consecutive years of positive comparable sales and traffic growth, underscoring sustained guest demand and long-term system strength. In the first quarter of 2026, Paris Baguette delivered 31.21% year-over-year total sales growth, reinforcing strong systemwide performance.

With more than 300 cafés operating across 29+ states and approximately 600 in active development, Paris Baguette is advancing toward and beyond its goal of 1,000 North American locations. Further demonstrating the strength of its model, the brand reports average unit volumes exceeding $3 million across its cafés (according to the brand’s 2026 FDD).

This strong foundation is driving continued development momentum, including a 20% year-over-year increase in café openings and a 33% increase in lease signings compared to Q1 2025.

Growth and expansion

Growth during the first quarter included the opening of a new Canadian café at Hillcrest Mall in Ontario, entry into Minnesota with its Hudson Road location and expansion into Jacksonville, Florida, where Paris Baguette received strong community responses in each new market. The brand also signed agreements supporting significant expansion across South Florida and Texas, while introducing Paris Baguette to Arkansas.

Supporting its long-term growth strategy, Paris Baguette also broke ground on its first North American manufacturing facility in Burleson, Texas, a strategic investment designed to enhance operational efficiency and support the brand’s expanding footprint.

The brand’s momentum continues to earn national recognition, including a No. 29 ranking on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500®, a No. 1 ranking in the bakery café category, and inclusion on the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurants Report and 2026 Fast Casual Movers and Shakers ranking.

“Our early growth in 2026 reflects both the strength of the Paris Baguette model and the continued demand for the neighborhood bakery café experience,” said CEO Darren Tipton. “We’re seeing strong momentum across new and existing markets, and we believe that positions us well for continued expansion throughout the year.”

Future plans and goals

Looking ahead, Paris Baguette is continuing to scale globally while expanding its North American footprint, including development efforts in Mexico and targeted growth across Canada, with a focus on Québec, Ottawa, Montreal, British Columbia and Winnipeg. The brand expects to open more than 100 additional cafés in 2026, including its first drive-thru location, while entering 10 new markets.

“We’ve kicked off 2026 with strong performance and recognition, and we’re not slowing down,” Tipton added. “We remain focused on delivering for our guests, supporting our franchisees and growing thoughtfully in the communities we serve.”

The bakery café franchise continued their growth in Q1, driving development activity, expanding to new markets, and surpassing six consecutive years of positive comparable sales and traffic growth.