About 18 months after it first announced plans to enter the Ottawa market, South Korean bakery-café chain Paris Baguette has increased the number of locations it plans to open in the city as part of a global expansion push.
Nick Scaccio, chief development officer for Paris Baguette’s North American branch, told OBJ on Wednesday that the company is looking to make an “aggressive expansion” into the Ottawa market with as many as 10 locations on the horizon.
When OBJ spoke with Paris Baguette in May 2024, the brand had planned to open six cafés across the city, from Barrhaven to Orléans.
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“We have just about 10 locations that we’ve mapped out in terms of searchable trade areas,” Scaccio told OBJ Wednesday.
The brand expects to have franchise deals in place “at some point” in 2026, Scaccio said, with locations opening in 2027. Scaccio didn’t specify where locations would open, but added that they would be in “both central business districts and suburban, residential areas … (and) shopping centres.” Ideal locations would measure about 3,000 square feet, he noted.
“With Ottawa being just a couple of hours outside of Montreal, we’re really excited about Ottawa,” Scaccio said, calling the national capital “a great city for growth.”
“We’re eager for a bustling inner-city and financial district. (Ottawa has) great suburbs and residential complexes where Paris Baguette tends to thrive in the cities where we operate.
“We think it’s a great city. (It) ties into our background of diversity and heritage, being French-inspired. I know (French) is still a somewhat prevalent language in Ottawa and the community there is diverse,” he said.
Paris Baguette, which Scaccio describes as “French-inspired but Seoul, South Korea-born,” has more than 3,000 locations in South Korea with hundreds of others across China, Singapore, the U.K. and France.
In the next phase of its expansion, the multinational brand has set its sights on North America, with plans to open 1,000 locations across the continent by 2030, according to its franchise website. It currently has more than 200 locations in the U.S. and 15 across Canada, including eight locations around the GTA, two in Calgary, three in Edmonton and two in Vancouver.
Scaccio said the brand plans to expand further in Ontario and to enter the Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Quebec markets, adding that there are currently more than 40 Canadian locations in development.
Paris Baguette will offer products including bread, pastries and cakes made in-house as well as made-to-order coffee and beverages
