South Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette is coming to the Philippines, with its first store slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Berjaya Food and Middle Trade signed a master franchise agreement with Paris Baguette Singapore to operate Paris Baguette stores locally under Paris Baguette Philippines Inc.

“It gives us so much pride and excitement to be able to announce this partnership between Berjaya Food International and Middle Trade in establishing Paris Baguette Philippines Inc. This development came more than six months after a successful expansion in Malaysia, a feat which we hope will be replicated in the Philippines,” said Dato’ Sydney Quays, Group CEO of Berjaya Food Berhad.

In a chance interview with reporters, Quays said “average of about five stores a year” are being planned with an investment cost of about $1.5 million.

“Typical investment for a store is, on average, $300,000, but that would depend on how big the store is, and that will also depend on the location,” he said.

“But what we want to do when we open is to have a full-pledged Paris Baguette experience, meaning we would carry the full-range of Paris Baguette. They have a lot of very reputable and good products. They also have some pasta. We also want to adopt some local food, just like what we’ve done in Malaysia,” he added.

Paris Baguette has been a leader in the Korean bakery industry by introducing and developing European-style bakery culture for the first time in Korea.

It is also the top bakery chain in South Korea with over 3,500 stores, and more than 480 locations across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

As to the location of the first Paris Baguette store in the Philippines, Quays said, “We are speaking with some bigger malls.”

“We are working on the right location to be able to present the brand to the Filipino people,” he said, adding that “the goal is to open within the next six months or so.”

“It has to be in Metro Manila. Typically we will go to malls first,” he said.