Franchising

Paris Baguette seeking master partner in Mexico

Photo: Paris Baguette

April 17, 2024

Paris Baguette, a French-inspired bakery cafe franchise with 4,000 locations, is expanding into Central America. With more than 160 locations in the U.S. and Canada and over 100 in development, the brand is seeking a master partner to help it break into Mexico.

"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," Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette North America, said in a company press release. "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."

Eric Lavinder, chief development officer, said the opportunity is a step above an area developer role.

"This person is going to lead our growth in Mexico, collaborating with us on goals, strategy and vision," he said in the release. "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 franchises in their market but will be entitled to a portion of the royalties paid by franchisees.

"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," Lavinder said. "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 a capacity for over 100 cafes 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.