Paris Baguette Opens First Store in Cambodia... Sixth Overseas Expansion

First Joint Venture Approach Since Starting Global Business
Collaboration with Local Partner HSC Group

Exterior of Paris Baguette Cambodia Store No. 1. (Photo by SPC Group)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seung-jin] SPC Group announced on the 9th that it has opened the first Paris Baguette store in Cambodia, ‘Beng Keng Kong Branch,’ in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, in partnership with the local partner HSC Group.

Cambodia is the sixth overseas country for Paris Baguette’s global expansion and the first store to open through a joint venture since the start of its global business. A joint venture is a form where the franchise headquarters partners with a local company to jointly invest capital and establish a local company.

The Paris Baguette Beng Keng Kong Branch is located in a standalone three-story building with an area of 390㎡ (approximately 118 pyeong) in ‘Beng Keng Kong,’ the largest commercial district in Phnom Penh.

As it is the first store entering Cambodia, great care was taken from the building design stage to effectively convey Paris Baguette’s brand concept. The first and second floors, which include an open kitchen and about 70 seats, have a mezzanine structure to maximize the sense of space, and the walls are designed with floor-to-ceiling glass to create an atmosphere like a European garden greenhouse. The third floor houses a rest area and office space for employees.

Considering Cambodia’s family-oriented culture and the young consumers familiar with cafe culture, Paris Baguette applied a bakery cafe concept where customers can relax comfortably. They also plan to strengthen the ‘brunch’ menu as part of their localization strategy. To ensure the safety of customers and employees and prevent the spread of COVID-19, regular disinfection is conducted inside the store, and takeout and delivery services are also being enhanced.

Sok Chen, who is in charge of local operations in Cambodia, said, “We are very pleased to introduce the global brand Paris Baguette to Cambodia,” and added, “We will leverage Paris Baguette’s excellent products and brand image to grow it into the top brand in Cambodia as well.”

Interior view of Paris Baguette Cambodia Store No. 1. (Photo by SPC Group)

Meanwhile, Paris Baguette has directly entered major global markets such as the United States, France, China, and Singapore to increase brand awareness and competitiveness. Starting with Cambodia, Paris Baguette plans to diversify its strategies through joint ventures and master franchises, and the number of overseas stores is expected to grow rapidly.

Currently, SPC Group operates a total of over 430 global stores in six countries including China, the United States, France, Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodia. Through this entry into Cambodia, the group aims to expand the Southeast Asian market, which is being developed as the third pillar of global growth. In the Southeast Asian region, they are actively conducting business using Singapore as a forward base.

An SPC Group official said, “We recently met with the Malaysian Senior Minister who visited Korea to discuss the establishment of a halal-certified production factory locally, and we are also considering entry into Indonesia, the largest market in Southeast Asia. We are actively expanding our business in Southeast Asia and plan to enter the Middle Eastern market in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.