The first Paris Baguette bakery cafe in Northeast Florida can start construction in St. Johns Town Center.
The city issued a permit July 24 for Leaders Construction Inc. to build-out 2,552 square feet for Paris Baguette at 624 Town Crossing Drive, No. 125, at a project cost of $150,000.
Paris Baguette, with more than 4,000 locations around the world, said it would open in Town Center by December.
Paris Baguette specializes in freshly baked cakes, pastries, quiches and bread products, and serves Lavazza coffee products.
The store will be in a strip that includes Noodles and Company, Chicken Salad Chick, Smoothie King and Cava. The space will offer indoor and outdoor seating.
The space previously was Pieology Pizzeria.
Leaders Construction is from Harmony in Osceola County.
Wei Zhu of Hilton Head, South Carolina, has franchise rights for Jacksonville; Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Indianapolis. He said in a previous interview that he is exploring the rights to Miami and other South Florida locations.
Other Paris Baguette locations in Florida are in Delray Beach, Tampa, Winter Garden and Winter Park.
Zhu said he is opening first in the Town Center and is looking for spaces in Jacksonville Beach and St. Johns County.
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.
Staff Writer Dan Macdonald contributed to this report