Many café chains focus on the beverage side of their menus—the lattes, cappuccinos, matcha drinks, and other libations are the star of the show, with edible items like bagels and breakfast sandwiches playing a supporting role.
While Paris Baguette offers a range of hot and iced beverages to quench a customer’s thirst, it’s the baked items that take center stage. The food menu includes a range of premium pastries, breads, sandwiches, and wraps, as well as eye-catching creations decorated by their “cakers and bakers.”
To learn more about the growing bakery café chain’s offerings, its expansion plans, quality standards, and innovation, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery spoke with Cathy Chavenet, chief marketing officer of Paris Baguette North America.
Jenni Spinner: Could you please share an overview of Paris Baguette—how the company got started, how you’ve grown, your product offerings, and what sets you apart from other bakery-centric stores/cafes?
Cathy Chavenet: Paris Baguette is a French-inspired bakery cafe that began in South Korea. We opened our first US cafe in 2005 and have grown to over 160 locations with a projected 1,000 locations by 2030. At Paris Baguette, we’re focused on re-establishing the bakery cafe as the heart of the community. What sets us apart is our expertly crafted, decadent offerings that elevate our menu through the highest quality ingredients, as well as the immense care that goes into our product by our skilled cakers and bakers. Guests can taste the difference in our pastries, cakes, and breads that are made fresh on-site at each cafe.
JS: What are some of your core or most notable/popular products? Also, what special occasions tend to be your best/busiest?
CC: The stars of the show at Paris Baguette are our cakes and pastries. Our expert cakers and bakers make everything fresh each day using only the finest ingredients to offer our guests beautiful and delectable treats. We are always working to bring new menu innovations and exciting offerings for every occasion. No matter the time of year or the season, Paris Baguette has something to offer, so we’re busy year-round! For example, we have some really fun St. Patrick’s Day and Easter offerings just around the corner that we can’t wait for our guests to try.
JS: PB is constantly releasing new product innovations for its customers—can you share a little bit about how the company approaches product innovation, and how you take an idea from your brains, to the test kitchen/evaluation stage, to retail reality?
CC: Our team of R&D chefs is always monitoring the latest trends in flavors, designs, and techniques. At times they are given a flavor profile or ingredient to feature and have the freedom to experiment and develop their ideas. Those ideas are then flushed out and tested until the perfect menu is developed to provide our guests with best-in-class products.
JS: Then, please tell us about your latest product, the Croissant Crisp. It sounds intriguing, based on the name, but could you tell us about the unique structure and flavors of this product line?
CC: Croissants are more popular than ever, and this spring, Paris Baguette will become the first bakery café QSR brand in the US to debut the Croissant Crisp. This flattened and pressed version of a traditional croissant serves up the perfect buttery, caramelized, crispy bite. Our expert pastry chefs have taken this trend to the next level by sandwiching two croissants together with delicious fillings. Trust us, it is a croissant experience unlike any other!
JS: What are the two flavors you’re releasing in the line, and do you have plans to expand the line if the initial varieties resonate with your customers?
CC: The Croissant Crisp will be available in two different varieties this spring, including the Croissant Crisp with Nutella and the Croissant Crisp with Raspberry. We never say never here at Paris Baguette, so if our fans are loving the Croissant Crisps as much as we do, there is definitely potential to expand the flavor offerings in the future.
JS: What else does PB have in store for future announcements (new products, expansion plans/strategies, etc.)?
CC: Hot off the press for our spring seasonal menu beginning March 6 through June 4 comes a partnership with the iconic Nutella that we have expanded across our pastries, cakes, and coffee beverages:
- Croissant Donut with Nutella, a flaky croissant donut filled with chocolate hazelnut custard and topped with Nutella
- Pizzetta with Strawberry & Nutella, our flaky pizzetta dough baked with a layer of custard and topped with Nutella and fresh strawberries
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Nutella, layers of Nutella and vanilla sponge filled and covered in chocolate hazelnut soft cream, topped with a Nutella swirl
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Slice with Nutella, three layers of vanilla sponge cake filled with Nutella and chocolate hazelnut soft cream, topped with Nutella and hazelnut wafers
- Chocolate Hazelnut Latte with Nutella (Hot or Iced), rich espresso and milk swirled with Nutella
Our expert bakers and cakers are always baking something delicious in our test kitchen, so there are many exciting things coming down the pipeline that we can’t wait to introduce to our guests. We continue to work with our partners at Lavazza to develop new and compelling seasonal coffee offerings for our guests to enjoy in addition to our core lineup. In the months ahead, we’ll roll out delicious new items with our summer menu to continue to support special moments for our guests with products for every day and every occasion. There is a lot to be excited about when visiting your local Paris Baguette café.
JS: Do you have a favorite product among PB’s offerings?
CC: I absolutely love our flaky, all-butter croissants. They remind you of the perfect croissant you’d find at a traditional boulangerie in Paris. Currently, I am swooning over our latest innovation called the “Croissant Crisp.” This on-trend treat is a pressed and caramelized croissant that is filled with either Nutella or raspberry.
