Paris Baguette, the bakery café concept with 4,000 units worldwide including over 120 in the United States, saw significant growth in 2022 and is showing strong growth early in 2023. After an explosive 2022, with a total of 24 new cafés opened and 125 signed agreements, the brand is continuing its expansion with the signing of an agreement to grow in Lake Forest.
“We are thrilled to announce additional expansion within California. There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity in the bakery café space,” says Mark Mele, chief development officer. “No one else is doing what we are on the same scale, and that’s attracting a lot of attention. It’s a really exciting time for us as we continue seeing growth through franchise expansion and year-over-year revenue numbers.”
The Lake Forest deal will bring the total number of locations within California to 49. The agreement was signed by Dara Dejbakhsh, a Lake Forest resident and Mark Mele, Chief Development Officer, who is pioneering the additional growth.
“When looking for the right franchise opportunity, Paris Baguette was the ideal fit because of its amazing product line, store design, and proven response from communities throughout the United States,” says Dejbakhsh.
Moving forward, the brand continues to eye the 1,000 unit mark within the states by 2030, and as it continues to grow, Mele explained that Paris Baguette seeks passionate franchisees interested in serving people in a welcoming 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,” he adds.
Though the bakery market as a whole has become a nearly $12 billion segment, Paris Baguette continues to fill the void for high-quality, freshly made foods. Unlike many bakery concepts, which have shifted to soups, salads, and pre-made bakery items, Paris Baguette continues to offer a wide range of products produced in the café daily.
For franchisees looking to enter the bakery café space, the brand provides exceptional support without straying from its roots as a true bakery concept.
Paris Baguette is targeting several markets in 2023 and aims to sign 160 franchise agreements and open 64 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 expand in some additional states in New England, including Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“We are on track to enter new markets and open a total of 64 units by the end of 2023,” says TJ Rogers, franchise sales manager. “Even throughout the pandemic, we did not shy away from opening additional units and exploring new markets. With great year-over-year revenue increases — a 42 percent jump from last year — and a persistent interest in the brand from franchisees and consumers alike, we expect nothing but a strong continued growth trajectory for the brand.”
