Bakery café brand Paris Baguette is aiming to open 200 new outlets in the UK over the next seven years.
The target forms part of the South Korean chain’s ambitious expansion plans of rolling out 450 units across Europe by 2036, predominantly via franchise partnerships.
Paris Baguette currently operates two shops in London – one at Kensington High Street, which opened last month, and one at Battersea Power Station, launched in October 2022.
Nico Gaillot, chief operating officer at Paris Baguette UK, said they were thrilled to announce new franchise opportunities for the brand, and were actively seeking partners in the Greater London area. “As we expand our presence internationally, our commitment to delivering exceptional quality and authentic French bakery experiences remains unwavering,” he added.
“With our proven track record of success and a passion for delighting customers, we are confident that Paris Baguette will become a cherished destination for bakery lovers across the UK.”
The company’s stated mission is to ‘re-establish the neighbourhood bakery café as the heart of the community’. Its menu features 25 premium items made with the ‘highest quality ingredients’ including signature three-layer cakes, bespoke baguette sandwiches, French-inspired pastries, and artisan bread. Chefs are also said to draw inspiration from Asian cuisine, incorporating flavours like matcha into their creations.
Paris Baguette was founded in 1988 in Seoul, employing a franchise model to rapidly expand across South Korea, becoming the nation’s number one bakery brand by 2004. It’s global empire currently comprises more than 4,000 stores (3,800 of which are franchises) in countries including the US, France, Canada, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
As it continues to expand, Paris Baguette maintains that there are numerous opportunities for franchisees to succeed and grow their business. It claims that many of its American franchisees are returning for multi-unit deals after achieving great success in existing locations with cafés that are producing upwards of $5 million in revenue.
Paris Baguette has received recognitions from US trade publications, including being ranked as the number one bakery franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 earlier this year, and taking 25th spot in the Franchise Times Top 500 list last year.
Franchise chain operator Cooks Coffee recently announced it was “seeking to acquire synergistic businesses” in the UK. Meanwhile, Greggs has targeted 150 new openings in 2023 to expand its estate of 2,365 shops (as of 14 May), of which 457 are franchise
No comments yet