Paris Baguette, the French-inspired bakery café franchise with a strong global presence, is further expanding in North America. With over 160 locations in the U.S. and Canada and over 100 more in development, Paris Baguette is seeing rapid growth in the two countries. Now, the team has decided it’s time to level up their entire North American presence as they look to expand into Central America.
“Being a key player in North America is a big focus for us, and knowing how successful Paris Baguette has already been in the U.S. and Canada, it’s the natural next step to bring the brand to Mexico,” explains Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette North America. “The U.S. and Canada markets have been incredibly welcoming to us, largely thanks to the truly unique product and experience we offer. We believe that our community-centric approach and emphasis on quality will empower that same success in Mexico and other countries in the Americas.”
Because Mexico is home to many booming, diverse markets, Paris Baguette sees a great opportunity to partner with a Master Partner for this next stage of growth.
“The Master Partner opportunity is a step above something like an area developer role. This person is going to lead our growth in Mexico, collaborating with us on goals, strategy and vision,” says Eric Lavinder, chief development officer. “The Master Partner will act as a franchisor in parallel to Paris Baguette North America, so they can open stores themselves or identify local franchisees to do so. They will oversee and support the development from a staffing, training, operations and marketing perspective.”
Executing on Paris Baguette North America’s behalf, the Master Partner in Mexico will pay a fee to the parent franchisor in exchange for rights to open or sell bakery café franchises in their market, but they will be entitled to a portion of the royalties that any of their franchisees pay in.
Breaking into Mexico and Central America is a major milestone, and Paris Baguette is focused on finding the right person to pioneer this expansion. Lavinder said the team is looking to partner with multi-unit and multi-brand restaurant operators who have strong experience in the industry and have developed the infrastructure, team and community connections to manage this growth. Paris Baguette welcomes qualified restaurant operators with varied backgrounds, including those in fast-casual, quick-service or full-service environments, as the business model is something truly special that does not fit squarely into a single category.
“We know that this Master Partner will need to have rich restaurant experience, but we do not want to confine ourselves to a single background,” said Lavinder. “We are looking for the best opportunity to partner with the right person — someone who is driven, knows the market well, and can successfully introduce Paris Baguette to neighborhoods across Mexico.”
With capacity for over 100 bakery cafés in the country, Paris Baguette sees Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara as standout markets that could provide a strong jumping-off point for continued expansion.
After an incredibly successful 2023, with 43 new cafés opened across the U.S. and Canada, over 100 new franchises awarded and 70 leases signed for cafés in development, Paris Baguette has already seen a strong start to 2024 with 25 new bakery cafés awarded. Bringing expertly crafted baked and brewed goods to guests in each market they enter, Paris Baguette delivers joy through a warm, welcoming bakery café experience. Now, they are excited to continue expanding that joy beyond the U.S. and Canada, and as they approach these new domains, the people behind the growth will be crucial to success.
“Our vision is to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community around the world. Paris Baguette North America’s step into Mexico will be a major milestone as we work to realize the global vision,” says Tipton. “The people at the heart of Paris Baguette bring this vision to life, and I look forward to identifying the right partner to work with to champion the success of our iconic brand as we grow throughout Mexico.”
