Competition in North America’s bakery-café sector is drawing in more overseas brands, as consumers continue to spend on fresh breads, specialty drinks and premium desserts despite broader pressures on discretionary dining. Among the companies accelerating its push is South Korea’s SPC Group, which is expanding its Paris Baguette chain across Canada with an eye toward building a 100-store network by the end of the decade.
SPC Group, a Seoul-based food conglomerate, operates Paris Baguette as its flagship global bakery café brand. The company currently runs 15 stores in Canada and has 30 additional locations in late-stage development. Across North America, the chain’s footprint has surpassed 290 stores, with Canada now positioned as a key expansion market alongside the U.S.
The move underscores how international operators are viewing Canada as a relatively underpenetrated but stable growth market within North America’s broader foodservice landscape. Company executives point to steady early sales and consistent morning traffic, supported by demand for freshly baked goods and handcrafted beverages. In many locations, breads and pastries function as meal substitutes rather than occasional treats, helping sustain repeat visits. Premium cakes and celebration items add incremental revenue tied to holidays and events.
Paris Baguette’s operating model centers on in-store production, with more than 100 varieties of breads, pastries, sandwiches and drinks prepared on site. The format distinguishes the chain from café concepts that rely heavily on reheated products shipped from centralized facilities. Extended operating hours from morning through evening are designed to capture multiple dayparts and maintain traffic throughout the day.
Geographically, the company first established a presence in Edmonton and the Greater Toronto Area before widening its expansion to provinces including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. New units are concentrated in high-traffic shopping centers, lifestyle complexes and office districts, reflecting a strategy focused on everyday consumer flow rather than destination-only visits.
To support the growing footprint, SPC Group is investing in regional production capacity. The company recently broke ground on a large manufacturing facility in Texas, with operations targeted for 2027. The plant is expected to serve as a supply hub for raw materials and semi-finished products across North America, including Canada, reinforcing quality control and logistics stability as store counts rise.
Franchise performance in Canada has remained stable following store openings, according to the company, with repeat customer rates trending upward as brand awareness expands. The Canadian buildout mirrors a strategy previously deployed in the U.S., where Paris Baguette scaled through franchising while pairing expansion with supply chain infrastructure.
As global food brands compete for share in North America’s evolving bakery-café market, SPC Group’s bet on Canada signals a longer-term commitment to deepening its regional presence rather than limiting growth to major U.S. metros.
