Franchising

Sweet Paris opening in Mall of America

Photo: Sweet Paris

October 30, 2023

Texas-based Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café is opening a second location in Minnesota at the Mall of America. Last year, the chain announced a multi-unit deal that marked its entry into the state, and the first opened this year in Woodbury.

Bringing Sweet Paris to Minnesota is Tenacity Restaurant Group, a team of partners with over two decades of restaurant experience, led by CEO Dustin Wetzel, CFO Pete Thelen and Strategic Adviser Dan Vansteenburg. The group is also working toward securing two additional sites in the Twin Cities area, which are slated to open in 2025 and 2026 respectively. The Mall of America store will open in the summer of 2024.

"Sweet Paris is a unique concept that embodies the culture and feel of Paris, so it only makes sense that it lives in the iconic Mall of America," Wetzel said in a press release. "The leadership team has played an important role throughout the site selection process — setting us up for success as we begin construction and look toward executing our opening plans on our second store. We are excited to become a favorite in the mall and are excited to see what the future holds."

The Mall of America store will join the 15 additional Sweet Paris locations operating around the country.

"We are thrilled to give Mall of America guests a taste of France with the opening of Sweet Paris Creperie," Carrie Charleston, VP of Leasing at Mall of America, said in the release. F"Our team is proud to bring this exceptional brand to our iconic tourist destination. This Parisian-inspired café with a chic and stylish environment will offer a variety of delicious menu options allowing guests to transport to Paris with no passport needed."

Entrance into Minnesota also marks Sweet Paris' expansion into the Midwest.

"Entering a premier retail center like Mall of America marks a pivotal time in Sweet Paris' history," Allison Chavez, co-founder of Sweet Paris, said in the release. "This is the ideal location for us, as the mall caters to so many different people daily. It will become a flagship store in the Midwest as we continue to grow throughout the region. We are honored to be working with the Tenacity Restaurant Group to help propel the Sweet Paris brand beyond our Houston roots, contributing to our goal of nationwide expansion."