The company is looking to expand its footprint in North America by heading south of the border into Mexico.
The French-inspired bakery cafe franchise, which operates over 160 locations in the US and Canada with over 100 more in development, will soon launch in Mexico and is seeking a master partner to aid in the expansion.
Eric Lavinder, Chief Development Officer at Paris Baguette, said the chain 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 Paris Baguette’s planned growth.
“We are in the search for the right master partner in Mexico who will take the lead on setting up the hub in Mexico that will provide the infrastructure and support needed to begin development of cafes in Mexico and eventually expand further into Central America,” Lavinder told Chain Store Age. “Having a strong master partner based in Mexico will help us determine the best areas in each market to target [with new stores].”
Lavinder added that the anticipated Mexican store format will mirror what is found in North America, but that the company can be flexible with store size when finding the right location. Typical square footage for a Paris Baguette location is around 3,000. The expected number of locations coming to Mexico will be determined after a master partner has been found.
