The smell of fresh baguettes baking, shelves full of croissants, cream cakes and pastries in shop windows: It’s not what Americans associate with South Korea. But that’s the unexpected hub of this French-style export. In 1988, businessman Hur Young-in launched the Paris Baguette Café in Seoul and grew it into Korea’s version of Starbucks, with 3,300 franchise locations saturating the country. Now this cultural mash-up is preparing for global expansion: It aims to be a brand with more than 12,000 units open worldwide by 2030. France is already taken care of: Paris Baguette’s Parisian debut was in 2014.
透过商店窗户又这样一番场景：新鲜烘培的法式长面包，一整排货架的羊角面包，奶油蛋糕和酥皮糕点散发着香味：这并不是美国和韩国联系起来的重点，但是的确是法式风味出口商品出人意料的地方。1988年，商人Hur Young-in在首尔开始了Paris Baguette Café并且帮助它成长为韩国版的“星巴克”，在这个国家渗透有3300家特许经营门店。
The café currently has 43 corporate units and three franchises in the U.S. and plans to open 21 units this year -- 350 of them by 2020. Can they do it? Larry Sidoti thinks so; he’s the company’s chief development officer. He helped franchise development for Ruby’s Diner and Yogurtland and is in charge of Paris Baguette’s American expansion. “So far,” he says, “this company has done everything it says it will do.”
这家咖啡店现在有43家子公司并且在美国有三家特许经营门点，而在今年计划开出21家—2020年计划达到350家。他们能做到吗?Larry Sidoti认为可以;他是这家公司的首席开发官。他曾帮助过Ruby’s 和Yogurtland特许经营的发展并且现在负责Paris Baguette美国地区的扩张。“现在，”他说，“这家公司已经做好了它将要做的事情的所有准备。”
I’ve never heard of PBC. How are you going to open thousands of units in 10 years?
我从来没有听过Paris Baguette。你们将怎样在10年内开近千家门店?
The thinking is that the Korean and Asian communities are rapidly expanding in the U.S., and there’s strong demand for Paris Baguette in those core markets. We think as the broader consumer market gets familiar with our brand, they will embrace it. We’ve had tremendous success on the East Coast, where we’ve already gone mainstream. Once we reach 350, we’ll explode from there.
一种考虑是，韩国和亚洲人群在美国的数量正在快速增加，并且Paris Baguette在那些核心市场有着很强的需求。我们认为随着更广泛的消费者市场熟悉我们的品牌后，他们会接受它。在东海岸我们已经获得了巨大的成功，已经了成为市场的主流。一旦我们数量达到350家，我们将会以那里为中心爆发。
Did you have to change your recipes for the U.S. market?
你们有为美国市场改变你们的配方吗?
My initial thought was not to change. Our pastries are lighter and airier than American pastries. They’re distinctive. We decided we were going to succeed by not being like everyone else.
我最初构思是不去改变。我们的甜点会比美国甜点更清淡和轻薄的。它们很有特色。我们决定我们会通过不和其他人一样来获取成功。
What type of franchise candidates are you getting?
你们正在寻找什么类型的特许经营候选人?
Most are coming from the Asian-American community, but as the brand gets more recognition, we expect to see multi-unit guys and area developers with food service and hospitality experience. It’s how the cycle goes. It’s really mind-blowing: I’ve met with people who have been waiting to buy a Paris Baguette franchise for six years. It’s unusual to have people wait like that; they usually invest elsewhere.
大多数来自于亚裔群体，但是随着品牌有更强的识别度，我们希望能够看见多样化的朋友们和地区发展者一起来经营这项餐饮服务和好客的体验。这也是循环组成的重要一部分。真的很令人激动的是：我曾遇到过有人曾为了购买Paris Baguette的特许经营权而等待了6年。很少有人会像这样去等待;在这些事件他们通常会投资到其他地方。
So, do you think of yourselves as challenging Starbucks?
所以，你认为你自己在挑战星巴克吗?
We’re not ever going to be Starbucks. Coffee is only 20 to 25 percent of our business, so we don’t really compete with them. But we believe strongly in synergistic relationships. Our brand brings more people into an area. So we not only coexist with places like Starbucks but also help each other drive traffic through the door.
首先我们从来没有要去做另外一个‘星巴克’。咖啡在我们业务中只占有20%-25%的比例，所以事实上我们不是真的和他们在竞争。但是我们坚信我们有协同作用的关系。我们的品牌带来更多的人进入一个区域。所以我们不仅和像星巴克一样的品牌共存而且也通过门店帮助其他品牌获取客流。
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