A new Paris Baguette franchise will be heading to Park Slope at 532 5th Ave. in Brooklyn.
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Susana Wu, Donna Wu and Ryan Zhao have partnered to open the new location. Susana said she became interested in franchising during the pandemic. During that time, she realized that jobs in the corporate sector — where she worked — were not secure, so she started looking for alternatives.
“I saw layoff after layoff,” Susana told What Now New York. “I saw lots of businesses struggling and failing to thrive. I was wondering what I could do for myself and the future.”
Susana reached out to her friend, Zhao, who has a background in the restaurant industry. They brought Donna in, as well, to help bring the vision to life.
“We’re just really good friends trying to do something together,” Susana said.
Susana said she and her co-franchisees were drawn to Paris Baguette because of the quality of their products as well as the longevity and potential of a Paris Baguette franchise. While other businesses last only a few years, Susana sees long-term potential for Paris Baguette, especially in the Park Slope neighborhood, where they hope to focus on serving families.
“We want a business that is going to stand the test of time,” Susana said.
This will be the 37th Paris Baguette cafe location in New York. While an initial press release indicated that the location would likely open in early 2025, Susana hopes to open their doors before the end of the year.
Susana hopes that they will be able to continue to open more Paris Baguette locations in coming years.
“We would love to be serial franchisees and hopefully open one a year if possible,” Susana said. “So we’ll be in conversations with them and see what other markets are up for grabs.”
Paris Baguette serves bakery items such as cakes, pastries and doughnuts, as well as breakfast items and coffee beverages. The chain is hoping to hit 1,000 units in the U.S. by 2030, according to a release.
“We’re on a mission to re-establish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community across the U.S., and we’re excited to see Susana and Donna bring this to life in their local trade area,” Darren Tipton, chief executive officer of Paris Baguette, said in the release. “In our cafés we like to say, ‘Happy to see you. Happier to serve you.’ And we know Susana and Donna will wholeheartedly embrace this approach in their neighborhood.”