Who Is the Ideal Paris Baguette Franchisee?

Paris Baguette, a 4,000-unit global bakery café brand, is expanding rapidly across the United States.

The brand is attracting a flurry of interest from entrepreneurs who have always dreamed of opening their own charming little neighborhood bakery or restaurant but needed the right partner to help them turn the dream into reality.

That’s because at the heart of every Paris Baguette, is a small business owner who wants to be a part of a vibrant community, to cultivate strong ties within their neighborhood, and who takes pride in helping neighbors celebrate life’s little moments and big celebrations. Paris Baguette allows entrepreneurs to bring back the simple pleasures of handcrafted baked goods to their neighborhood — and earn a good living while doing it.

Franchisee qualities

“One of the first questions I ask a potential franchisee is why Paris Baguette or why a bakery café concept,” said Mark Mele, Paris Baguette’s chief development officer. “It’s those individuals, who are not just financially qualified but who also bring a passion for their community and believe in delivering quality as a core value, who are great indicators of future success.”

While the brand is perfect for those who want to develop community relationships, it also brings the power and cache of global name recognition. It has stores located throughout the world and cultural capitals like London, Paris, Seoul, Dubai and Singapore. With such recognition comes a loyal customer base that has deep ties with the brand whether from experiencing it while living or traveling abroad or from one of its U.S. stores.

Currently, the brand's locations are concentrated on the East and West coasts in cities like New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Mele says there’s a push to grow the brand in major cities in the heart of the country as well. Strong interest in the brand means it’s on track to sign 100 franchisees by the end of the year. Its ultimate goal is to open 1,000 U.S. units by the end of the decade.

Community focus

So if you’re considering joining the brand, here are some of the qualities that help franchisees succeed.

Built on a tradition of quality, focusing on old-world baking techniques, Paris Baguette restores the lost art of the neighborhood bakery. The heart of any Parisian neighborhood, the locally owned bakery in the United States has slowly disappeared from neighborhood shops, and Paris Baguette is stepping in to fill that void.

At Paris Baguette, franchisees endeavor to make sure that every translation and interaction with a guest is warm and memorable. Being an active, vibrant part of the t’s the secret to this brand’s success. Whether it's creating an extraordinary cake for a special birthday celebration or simply knowing the name of the regulars who stop in for a cup of coffee in the morning, Paris Baguette built upon a core foundation of authentic connections in this community. It’s a point of pride for its franchisees and a key differentiating factor for the brand.

“I’ve loved Paris Baguette since I was a child,” said Jung Ahn, a franchisee in Pennsylvania. “Now that I own the University City, Philadelphia location, it’s hard for me to not give everyone I know a birthday cake.”

Owning a Paris Baguette puts Ahn at the center of his community’s celebrations and allows his customers to have a better option than supermarket cakes to make their gatherings special occasions.

Additionally, Paris Baguette excels by having a flexible labor model that employs people in the local neighborhood as genuine bakers, cakers and baristas, providing an economic engine for the community.

Brand history

Paris Baguette has a 70-year history of creating the most exquisite pastries, show-stopping cakes and delicious coffee. Franchisees' commitment to quality plays a central role in everything that sets this brand apart.

While other bakery cafés have essentially given up on authenticity by selling products that are made off premise, or offering an unfocused menu that has little to do with a bakery, Paris Baguette franchisees are passionate about sharing that genuine bakery experience with their customers.

Now, as the franchise makes waves in the United States, its franchisees believe that the power to grow with this worldwide bakery phenomenon has almost limitless potential.

“Paris Baguette has a really strong brand recognition and yet also there's room to grow,” said Shauny L. English, who signed to open multiple units on Long Island with her father, Sam Lamda. “We’ll be the first Paris Baguette open on Long Island. Paris Baguette has a local feel to it, yet it has such a global presence. It is a unique combination.”

The total investment to franchise with Paris Baguette ranges from $378,270 to $1,638,554, including a $50,000 franchise fee. However, Paris Baguette’s business model and fee structure streamlines operations for multi-unit owners and is perfect for franchise entrepreneurs looking to grow quickly. The brand offers a number of incentives for multi-unit franchise deals; for example, if a developer signs on for a minimum of four units in an area, the initial franchise fee drops from $50,000 to $40,000 for the first store.

Developers will then pay $20,000 per store under the Area Development Agreement plus a $20,000 franchise fee per store, equating to a $10,000 saving on each store.