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Tag: Paris Baguette

  • VTI Boosts F&b Portfolio With Acquisition Of Paris Baguette’s Vietnam Operations

    VTI Boosts F&b Portfolio With Acquisition Of Paris Baguette’s Vietnam Operations

    Viet Thai International (VTI), a global conglomerate, has recently made a significant acquisition by taking over the Vietnam operations of Paris Baguette, a popular Korean bakery chain. The move aims to increase VTI’s presence in the rapidly growing food and beverage sector in Vietnam.

    Paris Baguette’s Expansion in Vietnam

    Paris Baguette first set foot in the Vietnamese market in 2012, operating under the legal entity Paris Baguette Vietnam Co. Over the span of a decade, the brand has established a chain of nine stores, primarily in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The bakery chain offers a unique blend of bakery products and cafe services to its customers.

    VTI’s Strategic Acquisition

    According to VTI, this acquisition fits perfectly with its mission to “bring the best of the world to Vietnam and take the best of Vietnam to the world.” The company sees this as an opportunity to offer a popular international brand to the Vietnamese consumers while expanding its own operations.

    VTI’s diverse portfolio includes stakes in other popular brands, such as Philippine-owned Highlands Coffee, Pho 24, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Additionally, VTI operates Alid, a footwear and accessories business in Vietnam.

    Future Plans for VTI

    Earlier this year, there were discussions about revitalizing the long-delayed Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Highlands Coffee, nearly a decade after the plan was first announced.

    David Thai, the founder and CEO of VTI, confirmed that the company is in active discussions with bankers and is considering potential listings in various global markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and the United States.

    Questions & Answers

    What is VTI’s latest acquisition?
    VTI has recently acquired the Vietnam operations of Paris Baguette, a Korean bakery chain.

    Where are the majority of Paris Baguette’s stores located in Vietnam?
    Most of Paris Baguette’s stores in Vietnam are located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

    What are the future plans for VTI?
    VTI is actively discussing its potential listings with bankers in various global markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and the United States. The company is also considering to revive the long-delayed IPO of Highlands Coffee.

  • Paris Baguette appoints Belinda Remaczyk as UK franchise director

    Paris Baguette appoints Belinda Remaczyk as UK franchise director

    South Korean bakery cafe Paris Baguette has named Belinda Remaczyk as franchise director for its UK arm.

    Remaczyk joined the company a month after the cafe opened its first UK store in Canary Wharf, London. She will lead franchise strategy in the country, where it currently operates three stores.

    Prior to joining Paris Baguette, Remaczyk was the head of the European franchise recruiting for Wendy’s.

    Nico Gaillot, MD of Paris Baguette UK, said Remaczyk will be pivotal in driving the brand’s growth and success.

    “Her dedication to fostering strong relationships and her passion for strategic growth make her the perfect fit for this role. We are excited to see the positive impact she will bring as we expand our footprint in the UK,” said Gaillot.

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  • Paris Baguette opens its first store in Canada

    Paris Baguette opens its first store in Canada

    Bakery cafe franchise Paris Baguette is opening its first Canadian storefront, kicking off the brand’s planned expansion into Canada. The bakery cafe offers coffee bar drinks, bread, pastries and cakes. Paris Baguette plans to open seven more locations across Canada this year, as well as more than 64 new storefronts in the United States.

    “The expansion of our bakery cafes into Canada marks an exciting period of growth for Paris Baguette,” said Darren Tipton, chief executive officer, Paris Baguette North America. “We can’t wait to celebrate moments of joy with our guests as we establish our neighborhood bakery cafes in Toronto and bring our vision to life throughout Canada.”

    The new Toronto location boasts a 2,300-square-foot cafe space with seating for up to 20 guests. An open kitchen design allows customers to observe bakers at work while a center island displays some of the cafe’s signature baked foods.

  • SPC Group’s Paris Baguette launches in London

    SPC Group’s Paris Baguette launches in London

    SPC Group has launched its first Paris Baguette store in the UK, as part of its expansion strategy in the European market.

    The first Paris Baguette UK store is located on the first floor of the River Thames’s Battersea Power Station in London and has a retail space of 276sqm. SPC plans to open 20 bakery franchises there by 2025, with Europe as one of its key markets.

    The company intends to open its second UK store in Kensington High Street, London, next month.

    Paris Baguette UK offers the brand’s products such as tarts, eclairs, chiffon cream cakes, sandwiches and salads. SPC reports it will introduce some other types of bakery products to meet the local tastes.

    SPC added three new Paris Baguette stores in Paris earlier this month, taking its store count in the city to five since the first opened in 2014.

    Paris Baguette currently has more than 4000 locations worldwide, with locations in China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, and the US. The bakery brand was founded in 1988 and has gained popularity in Asia as a result of the K-movie wave.

    According to Statista, bread is a staple food consumed significantly by a large proportion of the UK population. The bread market in the UK generated a revue of approximately US$6.9 billion in 2020, with the figure expected to rise to approximately $7.4 billion dollars by 2026.

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  • Paris Baguette enters Malaysia, building its first halal-certified centre

    Paris Baguette enters Malaysia, building its first halal-certified centre

    SPC Group-owned Paris Baguette Singapore has partnered with Berjaya Food Bhd, the operator of Starbucks in Malaysia, to roll out Paris Baguette stores across the country this year.

    The joint venture, which Berjaya Food will own 50 per cent, is part of SPC Group’s strategy to further strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia. Malaysia will mark Paris Baguette’s eighth international destination, after Vietnam, the US, China, France, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia. The country’s first Paris Baguette store will launch in Klang Valley by the end of this year.

    Under the partnership, the South Korean retailer aims to open more than 600 stores in Southeast Asia by 2030. The chain is also eyeing expanding to the UK and China. Paris Baguette currently owns more than 4000 units globally.

    SPC Group is also set to open Paris Baguette’s first halal-certified bakery manufacturing and distribution centre in Johor, Malaysia next year as the South Korean retailer aims to tap into the US$2 trillion halal food market.

    About RM130 million (US$29.5 million) will be invested in the construction of the Johor-based facility, which will commence this year’s third quarter. Spanning 16,500sqm, the centre will be located at Nusajaya Tech Park, which connects to international airports and seaports in both Singapore and Malaysia.

    “The SPC Centre, Johor, will act as a cornerstone of our Southeast Asia business expansion and aid in the venture into the Middle East,” said Huh Young-in, chairman of SPC Group.

    The Johor-based SPC centre will manufacture about 100 items such as bread, cake and dessert to supply to Paris Baguette outlets in Southeast Asia countries, including Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

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  • Paris Baguette Indonesia grows as sales exceed expectation

    Paris Baguette Indonesia grows as sales exceed expectation

    SPC Group announced on March 24 that it is opening two Paris Baguette stores in Indonesia, one in Jakarta and the other in Bekasi. They are the third and fourth Paris Baguette stores in Indonesia, respectively.

    Paris Baguette, together with its local partner Erajaya Group, opened its first store in Indonesia, at Ashta Mall in November 2021. The Korean bakery giant is quickly establishing itself in the Indonesian market. Thanks to a great response from local customers, it expanded its presence beyond the capital city of Jakarta to the neighboring city of Bekasi.

    The third Paris Baguette store in Indonesia is located on the first floor of Pondok Indah Mall, one of the top five premium shopping malls in Jakarta, which is visited by an average of 100,000 people a day. The 162-squre-meter store opened with 66 seats on March 23.

    SPC Group is planning to operate Pondok Inda Mall Store as a flagship store in Indonesia that provides differentiated products and services. For customers who enjoy simple meals, it launched mushroom risotto and spicy seafood tomato pasta and drinks, including green grape ice tea of SPC Group’s tea brand Teatra. Its interior gives the impression of a French greenhouse. It is decorated as an island-style store with a cozy and antique atmosphere.

    The fourth store, Sumarecon Bekasi Store, occupies a 132-square-meter space on the first floor of Sumarecon Mall in Bekasi, a large residential area in eastern Jakarta. It will open with 40 seats at the end of March.

  • Paris Baguette arrives in Indonesia

    Paris Baguette arrives in Indonesia

    Erajaya Food & Nourishment (“EFN”) and Paris Baguette of Singapore (“PB”), officially entered into a joint venture partnership through the signing of a Joint Venture Agreement represented by Ms. Gabrielle Halim from EFN and Mr. Jin-Soo Hur from PB.

    Through this partnership, Paris Baguette, the well-loved fast-casual bakery from South Korea, known for its quality, delicious and innovative array of pastries, breads and cakes, officially enters the Indonesian market. The highly-anticipated debut would make Indonesia the fourth country in South East Asia that Paris Baguette would call home.

    Paris Baguette’s entry into the Indonesian market promises to break through the country’s F&B clutter, by offering elevated culinary concepts and a plethora of delicacies, crafted using premium ingredients, guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning taste.

    Gabrielle Halim, CEO of Erajaya Food & Nourishment, stated, “We are honoured to partner with Paris Baguette to expand its footprint in Indonesia. Their commitment to innovation and quality is in line with our vision to become a leading F&B player in Indonesia. We are certain the food lovers in Indonesia will welcome and enjoy Paris Baguette’s fresh concept and unique offerings when we open our first stores shortly.”

    “We are delighted to partner with Erajaya Food & Nourishment, who shares our vision of making the world a happier place through innovative products and by leading with integrity. Together with our partner, we will bring the high-quality treats that we love from Paris Baguette to Indonesia. Our expansion into Indonesia is a part of our globalization strategy.” said Hana Lee, Vice President of Paris Baguette SEA, SPC Group.

  • Paris Baguette to open Singapore flagship at Ion Orchard

    Paris Baguette to open Singapore flagship at Ion Orchard

    South Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette is set to unveil a new flagship inside Singapore’s Ion Orchard this month.

    According to the chain, the flagship will be the first-of-its-kind in the territory, introducing the brand’s new-generation interior design, store features and exclusive product offerings. Different to its usual store design, the Ion Orchard store will present a distinctive color palette of marble, wood, white and gold tones.

    “Our store design features a skylight ceiling and French outdoor furniture, to provide the illusion of outdoor-indoor dining,” said Hana Lee, VP of Paris Baguette Southeast Asia.

    Spanning more than 3000sqft, Paris Baguette Ion Orchard has a capacity of 70 seats, offering an all-day dining menu and exclusive new premium products, including South Korea’s favorite Natural Yeast Bread and Paris Rocher Cake.

    As part of the launch, the chain will also introduce its sustainable premium tea line, Teatra Tea, at Paris Baguette Ion Orchard.

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  • Paris Baguette enters Cambodia

    Paris Baguette enters Cambodia

    SPC Group is launching the Paris Baguette bakery franchise in Cambodia, opening the first branch in the country‘s capital city, the company said Wednesday.

    According to SPC Group, the Korean firm behind bakery brand Paris Baguette, it forged ties with Cambodia’s HSC Group to open the first Paris Baguette store in Phnom Penh.

    Cambodia is the sixth country in which Paris Baguette has launched, and it is the first time the bakery operator has formed a joint venture for its overseas business, SPC Group said.

    For the business partnership, Paris Baguette’s affiliate in Singapore established a joint venture, dubbed H.SPC, with HSC Food&Beverages, an affiliate of the Cambodian conglomerate, SPC Group said.

    With the launch of Paris Baguette in Cambodia, SPC Group aims to penetrate into the Southeast Asian market.

    “SPC Group is committed to expanding business in Southeast Asia,” an SPC Group official said.

    “We recently met with a Malaysian senior minister to discuss establishing a halal-certified food factory there, and we are reviewing plans to tap into Indonesia, which has the biggest market in the region. We also plan to enter the Middle East market in the future.”

    The first Paris Baguette store in Cambodia is located in the central area of Boeung Keng Kang in the capital city, occupying the entire space of a three-story building.

    SPC Group operates about 430 Paris Baguette stores overseas in six countries — China, the United States, France, Vietnam, Singapore and Cambodia.

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  • Paris Baguette opens its largest Singapore store

    Paris Baguette opens its largest Singapore store

    Best known for its Paris Baguette bakery franchise, SPC Group has opened four food brand stores in Singapore. The group is planning to make Singapore as its third axis of global growth after China and the United States.

    The group opened the new stores at Jewel Changi, a commercial complex connected to Changi Airport in Singapore, on April 17. The four food brands include Maison de PB, the first high-end brand of Paris Baguette; Coffee@Works, a special tea and coffee brand; and Shake Shack, a burger brand.

    Jewel Changi is a seven-story lifestyle complex built as part of the Singaporean government’s Chingi Airport development projects.

    Maison de PB serves not only bakery products but also various meals that go well with bread such as “Beef On The Stone” and “Signature Seafood Pasta.”

    Coffee@Works has opened its first overseas store at Jewel Changi. Currently, it operates a total of 12 stores in South Korea. Shake Shack has also opened the first store at the complex after it obtained a license for business operation in Singapore in October last year. Singapore is the third-largest market in SPC Group’s global operations.

    Paris Baguette has 12 stores in Singapore, including the one at Jewel Changi. Although the number of stores in Singapore is less than the 14 in Vietnam, sales in Singapore, which came to 14.90 billion won (US$13.13 million) last year, are nearly three times higher than those in Vietnam.SPC Group is seeking to establish a holding firm in Singapore. It is planning to build a base in Singapore, which is considered a hub of logistics, finance, and business in Asia, and expand its business to neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

    The group is also seeking to build a Halal certified production facility to target Muslims and the global Halal food market. It will establish the facility in the Southeast Asian region in order to target Muslim countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, and will set the exact time and place in the future.

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  • Paris Baguette opening outlets in Canada

    Paris Baguette opening outlets in Canada

    South Korean food-and-beverage company SPC Group says it will launch its bakery-cafe chain Paris Baguette into Canada next year.

    The Canadian operation of Paris Baguette will be set up by the first half of the year, with stores to be launched in the country’s major cities including Toronto and Vancouver, the group said in a statement.

    Paris Baguette’s goal is to establish at least 100 bakery branches in Canada by 2030.

    SPC Group has so far expanded into China, the US, Vietnam, Singapore, France and Cambodia.

    The company runs about 400 Paris Baguette stores globally, with stores in heavily populated areas such as Manhattan, San Francisco, Paris, Ho Chi Minh City and Boston.

  • Paris Baguette eyes expansion in the US, Singapore

    Paris Baguette eyes expansion in the US, Singapore

    South Korean F&B group SPC is expanding outside of its home territory as its home-based brands reach saturation point.

    Plans to establish an upscale restaurant in New York-based on its Paris Baguette bakery brand, however, have been significantly impacted by the continuing US coronavirus outbreak, according to a report in the Korea Times.

    “We were planning so as part of our global business expansion starting with our locations in Singapore. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, everything was put on hold,” said an official spokesperson for SPC. “We were going to start with Maison de PB and make our next move after watching its performance in NYC.”

    The group has already successfully established Paris Baguette locations in the US, although poor brand visibility is still said to be an issue for the franchise. According to one industry source, the Maison de PB venue was intended to elevate the reputation of the brand.

    “There’s a limit for its success with the confectionery business in the US and Europe,” the source told the Korea Herald. “It is very hard to break the stereotype that an Asian bakery can offer better products than French bakeries. Becoming successful with Maison de PB in NYC is also important but we can see it as part of the group’s efforts to build its brand image there.”

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  • BTS and Converse team up for BT21 sneakers

    BTS and Converse team up for BT21 sneakers

    American footwear brand Converse has collaborated with South Korean character brand Line Friends’ for Converse x BT21 sneaker collection.

    The Converse x BT21 sneakers will be available for purchase this Friday at Converse and Line Friends stores only in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.

    The collaboration offers a limited-edition line of Chuck Taylor All Star Low Black/White, and Chuck Taylor All Star Black, both with BT21 designs on them. The sneakers will come in a BT21 design shoebox with eight customised badges, shoelaces and a BT21 labelled tote bag.

    Prices are set at US$84 for low-cut sneakers and $87 for high-cut sneakers.

    BT21 are characters created by South Korean boy-band BTS in collaboration with Line Friends. The characters have appeared on products from several brands, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Paris Baguette.

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  • Shake Shack Rumoured To Be Opening At Jewel Changi Airport

    Shake Shack Rumoured To Be Opening At Jewel Changi Airport

    A Shake Shack Singapore store is reportedly planned for the Jewel Changi Airport shopping centre.

    Singapore food blog 8 Days, quoting an “industry source” says the chic American gourmet burger chain is in the final stages of preparation to launch in Singapore. Elsewhere in Asia, the brand is preparing to open in Hong Kong, where it has appointed local licensee Maxim’s Caterers, a division of Dairy Farm International, which also owns the Starbucks license for Hong Kong and Singapore.

    However 8 Days is tipping the Shake Shack Singapore eatery to be run by Korean food and beverage company SPC Group, which operates Paris Baguette and has the Korean rights to Shake Shack.

    The burger chain’s founder Danny Meyer was in Singapore to address a Restaurant Association of Singapore event and while “coy” about plans for Singapore, he reportedly told 8 Days he wants to see the brand launched in the city state.

    “It’s a possibility,” he told 8 Days. “My guys have visited Singapore thrice for site trips and they loved it here. It’s all about finding a good licensee.”

    Jewel Changi Airport is a shopping centre to be managed by CapitaLand, attached to the airport’s Terminal 1 and scheduled to open early next year.

    No confirmation was forthcoming from Changi Airport or SPC.

    Shake Shack, which started out as a food cart in New York City, now has more than 170 outlets internationally.

    Besides burgers, it is known for milkshakes, ice cream and other staple US dishes, but with more focus on flavour and serving size than is traditional in US fast-food restaurants.

  • Korea’s SPC Group eyes Paris Baguette US expansion

    Korea’s SPC Group eyes Paris Baguette US expansion

    South Korean F&B giant SPC Group has ambitions to expand its US business fivefold by 2020.

    Chairman Hur Young-in unveiled his plans when meeting in Seoul this week with US foreign affairs committee chairman Ed Royce and congressman Ami Bera. The two politicians were visiting Korea to discuss trade opportunities and establish partnerships in Korea.

    “We are planning to increase the number of Paris Baguette stores in the US to 300 by 2020, creating up to 10,000 new jobs,” Hur told Royce when they met at the company’s headquarters.

    Royce said the bakery brand had contributed to job creation in the US by employing more than 1500 people, and would play a key role in the global food industry in the future, reports the Korea Times.

    SPC established a US affiliate in 2002 and opened America’s first Paris Baguette in Los Angeles three years later. It now has 57 stores in the US and last year invested more than $48 million to report annual sales of $100 million and introduce 1500 jobs.

    Paris Baguette became Korea’s first bakery brand to enter the French capital, setting up a business base in July 2014 to expand to other French and European cities. Stores were opened in Shanghai in 2004, and in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore in 2012.

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