Post by : Meena Ariff

If you walk into the basement of a busy mall in Singapore, you will smell the sweet and buttery smell of fresh bread and pastries. Long lines of people wait with trays and tongs, picking their favorite cream rolls, soft milk bread, croissants, and fruity pastries. Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Singaporean bakeries are full of hungry customers.

One of the most popular bakeries is Paris Baguette. From the name, colors, and Eiffel Tower signs, it may look like a French bakery, but it is 100% Korean.
The boss of the company, Jin-soo Hur, says, “Our bread isn’t just French. We are an international brand. Croissants are not just European now—they are enjoyed by people all over the world.”

Paris Baguette is owned by SPC Group, a company that started as a small family bakery 80 years ago. Today, it has grown big in South Korea and makes bread and pastries in large numbers. The company has 20,000 employees, and last year, its sales reached $5.6 billion.

Paris Baguette opened its first store in 1988, and later, it opened a store in China, making it the first Korean bakery brand to go international. Today, it has 4,000 stores in 14 countries, including the US, Europe, and across Asia.

The company wants to open 1,000 more stores by 2030, mostly in the United States. It is also building a factory in Texas, which will be the biggest one outside Korea when it opens in 2027. This factory will supply bread to stores in the US, Canada, and Latin America.

To become more popular in the US, Paris Baguette has partnered with the Tottenham Hotspur football club in England. Before this, they worked with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France, offering baked goods at football matches.

Mr. Hur believes sports and food bring people together. He said, “There is a good atmosphere during games, and food is a big part of the culture.”
Son Heung-min, the captain of South Korea’s football team, is also the captain of Tottenham Hotspur. He recently helped the team win the Europa League, their first trophy in 17 years. But Mr. Hur says it’s not just about having a Korean captain—Tottenham is a top club, and Paris Baguette wants to be a top brand too.

How Paris Baguette Makes So Much Bread

Making fresh bread every morning is hard work. Mr. Hur says people don’t want to wake up early to knead dough. So, Paris Baguette uses a smart system: they send frozen dough to stores. This saves time and helps keep the bread fresh for longer.

In Asia, bakeries have a long history. With more people moving to cities and living busy lives, they want quick and easy food. Bakeries now offer both classic European items like pain au chocolat and new flavors like matcha, red bean, pandan, durian, and salted egg pastries.

To meet the needs of Muslim customers, Paris Baguette has a halal-certified factory in Malaysia. This factory sends baked goods to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Korean and Japanese cultures are very popular around the world. Many people want to try the food they see on TV or social media. A pastry chef in Singapore said he was surprised and happy to see Asian bakeries in Italy, and many local Italians were enjoying them.

Is Frozen Dough Good?

Chef Saverio Busato from the Culinary Institute of America tried a croissant made with frozen dough. He didn’t know it was frozen when he tasted it but said, “This is not very good. It has no smell, no butter taste, and it’s too dense.”

Still, he said it’s hard for big companies to make every pastry by hand. That’s why frozen dough is used.

However, he did enjoy a Korean milk bread, a soft and creamy white bread. He said it was fluffy, smelled nice, and reminded him of a snack he used to take to school.

Challenges for the Future

The cost of living is rising around the world, especially in the United States. This makes it harder for companies to earn money. Mr. Hur said many businesses are changing because it’s hard to make a profit.

One of Paris Baguette’s main competitors, Pret A Manger, had to close many stores and lay off workers after COVID-19. They are now trying new ideas like subscription services and adding more dine-in spaces.

Even with all these challenges, Mr. Hur says money is not everything. “If we only cared about money, we would stay in Korea,” he says. “But we want to change bread culture around the world. We want to open more bakeries—it’s good for people and good for our country.”