Paris Baguette, a bakery cafe with more than 4,000 locations around the world, plans to open in St. Johns Town Center by December.
It specializes in freshly baked cakes, pastries, quiches and bread products, and serves Lavazza coffee products.
The store will be at 4624 Town Crossing Drive, Unit E09A. It is near Cava and European Wax Center.
The space is 2,500 square feet and will be a fast-casual restaurant concept with indoor and outdoor seating.
Wei Zhu of Hilton Head, South Carolina, has franchise rights for Jacksonville; Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Indianapolis. He is exploring the rights to Miami and other South Florida locations.
The Paris Baguette locations in Florida are in Delray Beach, Tampa, Winter Garden and Winter Park.
Zhu is in permitting with the city.
The build-out cost is $1.3 million, Zhu said.
He has been in negotiations with the Town Center for several months to be allowed to open there because of noncompete rights the Cheesecake Factory had in place, Zhu said.
Zhu is opening first in the Town Center and is looking for spaces in Jacksonville Beach and St. Johns County, he said.
The bakery will be open from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. A staff of six to eight bakers will start work at midnight.
“Our menu has almost 100 items. They have to start that early to be ready by seven,” he said.
Customers can dine in, take out or have Paris Baguette items delivered through DoorDash. It also caters.
The restaurant’s website shows 14 cakes as well as special holiday-themed cakes. Most cakes are available whole or by the slice.
The menu includes tarts, croissants, fruit pastries, doughnuts, croquettes, breakfast sandwiches, salads, sandwiches and wraps.
The multinational Paris Baguette chain in owned by the SPC Group and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.