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A bakery-cafe chain specializing in baked goods is expanding to Indiana.
Paris Baguette will be the stop for anything from a whole blueberry chiffon cake to quiche to sandwiches to pineapple brulee pastries.
The French-inspired bakery chain, which has its global headquarters in South Korea, has more than 4,000 cafes worldwide, including about 200 in North America, will open in Carmel this winter and open three more shops in the Indianapolis area over the next few years.
What‘s on the Paris Baguette menu?
Among the offerings at the chain:
Whole cakes and cake slicesTiramisu tartsStrawberry and lemon cream croissantsCroissisant and mochi doughnutsHam and cheese pastriesFour-cheese quiche Crab meat croquettesFrench jamsBreakfast sandwichesWrapsHot and iced lattesSmoothies and frappes
“You walk into Paris Baguette and you’ve got everything you need,” said Wei Zhu, the franchisee who is opening the Indiana shops.
Zhu, is based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he owns independent hibachi and sushi and cajun seafood restaurants.
The Jinya Ramen Noodle and Kung Fu Bubble Tea franchise owner is also opening Paris Baguette cafes in Miami and Jacksonville, Florida, and in Savannah, Georgia.
“Hilton Head is a really small market, with only 38,000 people. We wanted to expand and wanted a brand that would keep growing,” Zhu said. “Paris Baguette was the most popular.”
New partner Guangei Li will oversee the Indianapolis-area cafes.
Where will Paris Baguette cafes open in Indiana?
The Carmel restaurant is slated for a December 2025 opening at 11600 Westfield Blvd.
Over the next few years, cafes will open in Zionsville, Fishers and Greenwood.
Zhu is still looking for sites from the other Indianapolis-area stores, hampered by coffee shops and restaurants such as Starbucks, Dunkin and Panera that are already set up in the prime shopping centers he favors.
“In Indianapolis, every corner has a Starbucks. I didn’t realize how many Starbucks were there,“ he said.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.