Paris Baguette opened its fifth Washington state location on July 21, adding a bakery café at 32225 Pacific Hwy. S, Suite 204, Federal Way — deepening the brand's footprint in the Seattle-Tacoma metro as it races toward a stated goal of 1,000 North American units by 2030.
The Franchisee Story
The Federal Way café is owned by Eric Cao, whose path to franchise ownership spanned two continents and nearly two decades of business experience. Cao studied accounting in Australia, managed multiple franchise operations, and completed an MBA in Seattle before committing to the Paris Baguette model. His wife, whose enthusiasm for baking originally drew the family to the bakery-café concept, is credited as the driving force behind the venture. "Opening this bakery café is the fulfillment of a dream my family has shared for years," Cao said. "We're excited to bring something fresh to the Federal Way community and create a place where people can gather over great pastries, cakes, and coffee."
The story reflects a franchising approach Paris Baguette has leaned into as it accelerates U.S. expansion: recruiting owner-operators with genuine community ties rather than purely institutional multi-unit investors. With more than 4,000 locations worldwide and 300-plus bakery cafés operating across North America, the brand's pipeline remains active, with multiple locations currently in development.
Operator Implications
For foodservice operators watching the bakery-café segment, Paris Baguette's Pacific Northwest push signals continued momentum for the polished, artisan-positioned café format that competes with both specialty coffee chains and fast-casual bakeries. The Federal Way market sits within a high-density retail corridor between Seattle and Tacoma — the kind of suburban trade area the brand has repeatedly targeted as it moves beyond major metros.
CEO Darren Tipton framed the expansion in community-centered terms. "We're on a mission to re-establish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community across the U.S.," Tipton said, "and we're excited to see Eric bring this to life in his local trade area."
The 2030 target of 1,000 U.S. and Canadian locations represents significant unit-level growth for a concept that has leaned heavily on its handcrafted beverage and artisan baked-goods menu to differentiate in a crowded café market. Operators tracking bakery-café and fast-casual expansion will note that Paris Baguette's franchisee profile — internationally experienced, MBA-trained owner-operators — aligns with a broader hospitality industry trend toward higher-touch franchise partnerships.
As beverage-forward café formats continue to attract franchise investment, Paris Baguette's combination of coffee, pastries, and custom cakes positions it at a competitive intersection of the bakery and café segments. Food & Beverage Magazine has tracked similar hybrid formats gaining ground with consumers seeking community gathering spaces beyond traditional coffee chains.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
