The food and beverage franchise group plans to open five Paris Baguette stores in the wealthy Southeast Asian nation by 2034, adding to its six licensed bakery-cafés in Malaysia and the Philippines
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A Paris Baguette store at the TRX Exchange shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Photo credit: Paris Baguette Malaysia
Malaysian food and beverage group Berjaya Food has signed a Letter of Intent to launch Paris Baguette in Brunei, with the first store of the partnership set to open in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Berjaya Food currently operates five licensed Paris Baguette stores in Malaysia and a single site in the Philippines, which opened in April 2024.
The Selangor-based business, which also operates more than 400 licensed Starbucks stores in Malaysia and Brunei, is seeking a local partner to facilitate the move and plans to open five outlets in Brunei within the next decade.
“To be given the rights to operate Paris Baguette in Brunei is a major milestone in our APAC region expansion. Building on our successful expansions in Malaysia and the Philippines, we are confident about replicating this success in Brunei,” said Datuk Sydney Quays, CEO, Berjaya Food.
With a population of approximately 450,000, Brunei is one of the smallest countries in southeast Asia but also one of the wealthiest. Bolstered by substantial oil and gas reserves, its GDP per capita is among the highest in the world.
World Coffee Portal’s Project Café East Asia 2024 report found the total Bruneian branded coffee shop market comprises just 27 outlets, led by US chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with 10 stores. However, the market is forecast to grow significantly over the next five years and surpass 100 outlets by the end of 2028.
In May 2024, Berjaya Food reported a third consecutive fall in quarterly sales and profits amid ongoing customer boycotts of Starbucks stores over the conflict in Gaza. However, the food and beverage group’s directors said they expect operating performance to ‘gradually improve’ in the fourth quarter ending 30 June 2024.
Founded in Seoul in 1988, Paris Baguette currently operates 3,750 stores in South Korea and more than 500 outlets across 11 international markets.
In October 2023, the bakery-café chain signed a memorandum of understanding with UAE-based Galadari Brothers Group to open sites across the Middle East.