Paris Baguette has opened its 85th California café at 15 Rowland Way in Novato, with franchisee Sukhwinder Singh operating the location as his second unit under the Paris Baguette banner. The opening adds to a system that now counts more than 300 bakery cafés across North America and over 4,000 locations worldwide.
The Franchisee Story
Singh launched his first Paris Baguette in Brentwood before identifying Novato as an underserved market for an artisan bakery-café concept. The Novato unit is a family-run operation, with Singh's wife and children involved in day-to-day tasks ranging from baking to counter service — a model that aligns with the brand's community-focused positioning. Singh cited Paris Baguette's ingredient quality and menu breadth as the key factors that drew him to the franchise system in the first place.
Growth Targets and Franchise Strategy
The Novato opening is part of a broader push by Paris Baguette to reach 1,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada by 2030. The brand is growing primarily through franchise partnerships with owner-operators who have local-market ties — a strategy that mirrors successful bakery-café franchise expansion models seen elsewhere in the full-service and fast-casual segments.
"We're on a mission to re-establish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community across the U.S., and we're excited to see Sukhwinder bring this to life in his local trade area," said Darren Tipton, Chief Executive Officer of Paris Baguette.
The café's menu centers on artisan pastries, breads, cakes, and handcrafted beverages — a format that continues to perform well as consumers seek out premium café and bakery experiences beyond traditional quick-service options. With multiple additional locations reported to be in development, California remains one of the brand's most active expansion corridors.
For operators watching the bakery-café segment, Paris Baguette's growth illustrates how globally scaled concepts can localize their franchise model by recruiting multi-unit owner-operators with community roots. The brand's trajectory — from a single new opening to a 1,000-unit North American target — reflects the sustained consumer appetite for experiential, food-forward café environments that compete on craft and atmosphere as much as convenience. Food & Beverage Magazine has tracked similar premiumization trends across the broader foodservice landscape.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the new Paris Baguette in Novato, and who's running it?
It's at 15 Rowland Way in Novato. Franchisee Sukhwinder Singh operates it as his second unit—his first Paris Baguette opened in Brentwood. It's a family operation with his wife and kids handling everything from baking to counter service.
How many Paris Baguette locations are there now, and what are the growth targets?
Paris Baguette has 85 cafés in California, over 300 across North America, and 4,000+ worldwide. The brand is targeting 1,000 U.S. and Canadian locations by 2030, growing through franchisees with strong local market ties.
What's Paris Baguette's expansion strategy, and why is it working?
They're betting on owner-operators like Singh who understand their local markets and can position the brand as the neighborhood gathering spot. This mirrors successful fast-casual and full-service bakery-café expansion models—consumers are trading up to premium artisan pastries and handcrafted beverages over traditional QSR.
What does a Paris Baguette menu look like, and who's the customer?
Artisan pastries, breads, cakes, and handcrafted beverages—premium offerings that attract consumers seeking experiences beyond quick-service chains. The positioning targets community-focused diners willing to pay for quality ingredients and craft.
Why did Singh choose Paris Baguette over other bakery-café franchises?
He cited ingredient quality and menu breadth as the deciding factors. For franchisees evaluating systems, that's the credibility message: Paris Baguette competes on product standards and variety, not just speed or price.
