Paris Baguette has opened its first store in Laos, becoming the first Korean bakery brand to enter the country as it expands its footprint in Southeast Asia, the company announced Tuesday.

The Korean bakery-cafe chain now operates in seven Southeast Asian countries, following earlier entries into Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Cambodia.

Laos, one of the main economies of the Mekong region, has seen its dining and cafe market grow quickly amid urbanization and an expanding middle class, and rising interest in Korean culture among young consumers has fueled demand for premium bakery and dessert items, Paris Baguette said.

The company signed a master franchise agreement with KOLAO Group, a leading Laotian conglomerate, in 2024 to enter the market.

The new store is located on the ground floor of KokKok Mega Mall Patuxay, a newly built shopping mall in the Patuxay area, a key commercial district in the capital, Vientiane. The roughly 360-square-meter bakery cafe has 72 seats.

The store's menu includes global signature items such as the Fresh Yogurt Cream Cake, Best Ever Garlic Bread and Crunchy Choco Bun, along with desserts including the Mini Choco Twist and Mr. & Mrs. Bear Madeleine, as well as meal items such as the Classic PB Breakfast and Grilled Chicken Mushroom Risotto. It also offers a Musang King Durian Roll Cake tailored to local tastes.

Jakkaphong Vongthaphanh, CEO of Grandview Property, a KOLAO Group affiliate and Paris Baguette's local partner, said he was pleased to bring the brand to Laos for the first time and that the store would offer a new lifestyle space with global-standard products and service.

Paris Baguette Vice Chairman Hur Jin-soo said the Laos launch is an important step in expanding the company's business network in Southeast Asia and strengthening its global growth momentum, adding that the company would combine its accumulated global business experience with KOLAO Group's local market expertise to pursue an optimized business model.

Paris Baguette has been actively expanding across Southeast Asia. Last year, it completed a halal-certified production center in Johor, Malaysia.

The company obtained official halal certification from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore for all its Singapore stores in February, and completed halal certification for all its Indonesia stores last month.

Including its Southeast Asian operations, Paris Baguette runs more than 730 stores across 13 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Britain, China and Mongolia.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.