Paris Baguette to open nine new North American stores in Sept.

Paris Baguette, the bakery franchise owned by South Korea's SPC Group, said on Wednesday that it plans to open nine new stores in North America this month, bringing the total number of stores in the region to 150.

The announcement comes as Paris Baguette continues its rapid expansion in the region. The bakery brand opened its first Canadian location in March of this year and plans to add two more stores in Canada this month.

A new Paris Baguette store will open in Southpark on Whyte, located in Edmonton, Alberta on Sept. 14. The brand will also launch its first company-owned store in Newmarket East, Canada, on Sept. 22.

In the US, Paris Baguette will unveil its first location in North Carolina on Sept. 22 and will continue to open franchise locations in New York, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts by the end of this month.

Paris Baguette achieved profitability in the US market during the first half of this year, a milestone that SPC attributes to the brand's strong performance in key shopping districts like Manhattan in New York and downtown Los Angeles.

"We are seeing positive results in the US, which is the home of franchise businesses and a battleground for global brands," an SPC source said. "As our franchise operations in the US have found solid footing, we plan to lead the North American bakery market and intend to replicate the successful US model in other markets globally."

Write to Ji-Yoon Yang at yang@hankyung.com