Paris Baguette’s Ongoing Menu Innovation Keeps Things Fresh for Franchisees and Guests Alike

With over 4,000 locations around the world, including more than 150 across the U.S., Paris Baguette, the bakery café franchise that makes its breads, cakes and pastries on-site each day, has made a name for itself by offering expertly crafted baked goods year-round. Additionally, they further stand out by building on this baseline expectation of quality by offering seasonal products that speak to the in-demand flavors of the moment, providing guests with an immersive experience in their neighborhood Paris Baguette cafés.

“We launch seasonally appropriate menus that align with key moments, whether it’s pumpkin for fall or peppermint mocha for the holiday season,” said Cathy Chavenet, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing and R&D. “We look at certain trends and lean into what guests are looking for during a particular time of year. We also like to play into  ‘micro-holidays,’ such as National Cake Day, to bring a touch of joy and excitement to people’s lives.”

More Than Just Chasing Trends

While Paris Baguette makes an effort to keep its menu up to date with what guests are craving, including traditional seasonal flavors, its philosophy is more intentional than just chasing the newest trend in hopes of attracting a new guest for a visit or two.

“It’s not just a flavor for a pastry; we try to weave the flavors through our entire menu,” said Chavenet. “There may be a pastry component, but there is also the beverage and the cake side of it. There may be a pull-through with our savory items as well. When you walk into a Paris Baguette, we want you to feel the season throughout the entire menu.”

Paris Baguette has five LTO windows — winter, spring, summer, fall, and holiday — in which they embrace seasonal menu items. This year, for example, the fall menu encompassed harvest flavors, including pumpkin, pecan, and cranberry.

“Guests love pumpkin, so we pulled the flavor through our cakes, beverages, and pastries. We also included pecans in our salads, savory pastries, and cakes,” added Chavenet. “We had an entire cake lineup for the Thanksgiving season that included a pumpkin and pecan flavor theme.”

With a robust, all-inclusive menu strategy, Paris Baguette frequently revamps its offerings, displays, and marketing, and plans carefully to ensure the transitions run smoothly for local operators, serving owners just as much as it serves guests.

Hands-On Training, Operations Preparation and Longevity in the Menu

To prepare for seasonal menu updates, Paris Baguette leads robust training sessions and provides clear documentation to ensure everyone at the café level feels prepared for new launches. More importantly, the team leaves enough time between launches so that local owners, bakers, and cakers are not constantly pivoting. This is equally important for guests to be able to fully enjoy the seasonal offerings.

“Brands will often have short windows for their limited-time offerings. We want to ensure that our seasonal menus have longevity, not only for our operators but also for our guests,” added Chavenet. “We keep our limited time and seasonal menu items in our cafés for a longer duration so that people have an opportunity to hear about it, go in to enjoy it and come back for it again. That helps the guests and crew members really live in the moment of that holiday or season.”

Paris Baguette’s Continued Innovation

Looking to 2024, Paris Baguette will have new and exciting offerings in honor of winter holidays and events and will continue to roll out fresh, French-inspired offerings all year long. 

In addition to the menu itself, the marketing team has focused its attention in other areas to ensure the entire experience is smooth and enjoyable. Additional build-outs to the Paris Baguette Rewards program include exciting, timely offers to members, updated menu boards in the cafés that offer dynamic displays of seasonal offerings, and new retail merchandise items including bespoke packaged coffee beans, artisan chocolate bars, and branded tumblers offering something for everyone.

“Franchisees should know that they will be supported in offering a great guest experience. We, at corporate, are not going to launch a rollout that isn’t ‘fully baked,’” said Chavenet. “Everyone throughout the system will have the tools and resources they need to execute seasonal product offerings within the café and truly bring the menu to life within those four walls.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownaparisbaguette.com or https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette