Paris Baguette Opens New Texas Location
The global bakery café chain Paris Baguette opened a new location in Richardson, Texas, on February 27. The opening is part of the brand's rapid U.S. expansion, which now includes over 4,000 units worldwide.
Paris Baguette is a South Korean-owned company operated by the SPC Group. The company was founded in 1988 by businessman Hur Young-in and opened its first store in Seoul's Gwanghwamun district. Despite its French-inspired name and offerings, the company has its roots in a small South Korean bakery called Sangmidang, which was established in 1945. The chain has an ambitious goal of reaching 1,000 locations in the United States by 2030, a significant increase from its over 280 currently open North American cafés. This rapid expansion is fueled by strong sales growth, with the company experiencing a 44% spike in year-over-year sales in the U.S. in 2021 and 19 straight quarters of positive same-store sales. To support this growth, a new manufacturing facility is being built in Burleson, Texas. The Richardson location is the 25th Paris Baguette in Texas and is operated by franchisees Sweta Goyal, Puneet Mittal, Mamta Singhal, and Rajneesh Singhal. This opening is part of a five-unit development agreement held by the two Dallas-based couples. Other Texas cities with Paris Baguette locations include Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. While known for its French-inspired breads, pastries, and cakes, Paris Baguette also offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and coffee. The brand aims to create a "neighborhood bakery café" atmosphere, and many of its newer stores feature "cake rooms" where customers can watch bakers and decorators at work. The company's U.S. franchises have focused on these core bakery items rather than expanding into a broader restaurant menu.
