Paris Baguette Looking To Expand Into Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Mark Mele sees a bright future for Korean-based bakery, Paris Baguette, in the Valley.

Mele, who serves as the chief development officer for the worldwide bakery chain, has his sights set on the Grand Canyon State, and on Scottsdale in particular.

Paris Baguette launched in Korea in 1988 before jumping the Pacific to open its first U.S. location in 2005.

Fast-forward two decades, and the chain wants to add 1,000 locations in the U.S. in the next 10 years or less.

For Mele, there are plenty of opportunities still to be had in places like 48th State, however, with the company's lone Arizona location in the Mesa H-Mart food court.

"We looked at several major markets throughout the U.S. for our expansion, and Phoenix was one of the top-20 markets in our opinion for a rollout of the brand," Mele told Patch. "When we looked at a rollout for the major cities in the U.S., it was kind of a no brainer for us."

Mele said the company is currently in lease negotiations for two Scottsdale locations, though he could not disclose where in town they are situated.

Going forward, Mele sees a future with upwards of 10 Paris Baguette locations spread throughout the Phoenix area, including cities like Gilbert and Chandler.

After that, the company could add additional locations in partnership with franchisees in the state, Mele added.

He said the company's expansion efforts revolve around demographics of a given area, which spurred growth into major metropolitan areas, like New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where Paris Baguette has a strong foothold.

Mele sees the Valley as being a natural outpost for the brand, given the area's demographic breakdown.

"It takes a lot of work to find the right spot for us," Mele said. "We want that high-end spot, we want all eyes on us, with outdoor seating. It's got to be at least 3,000 square feet, because we're baking in the back of the house and that takes up a lot of space."

Based on previous experience, Mele expects to have at least one lease signed within the next 45 days.

From there, the company has an outside shot at opening its first Scottsdale location by the end of the year if all goes well, Mele said.

"If we can get that done, then we'll do everything that we can to get it up and operating before the end of the year," Mele said. "It's that important to us."

For now, Mele is excited to expand the company's footprint in Arizona, bringing fresh baked pastries and other offerings to the region.

"Everything in that store, from the French-inspired bread to our pastries, people are going to fall in love with them," Mele said. "All of that is really what Paris Baguette is all about."