SerpApi.Org
A South Korean bakery chain known for stocking dozens of classic French pastries with Asian twists will open a new store in Federal Way - its farthest south in Western Washington - on Tuesday, July 21.
Paris Baguette stands out for its staggering array of baked goods, from croissants to doughnuts and breads to cakes. Many hit contemporary notes of fusion techniques, like the viral Cronut-inspired mashup of a doughnut forged with flaky croissant dough, or the delightfully chewy mochi doughnuts. Others cover traditional European-style takes on fruit-filled pastries, pain au chocolat and sweet cheese danishes. Korean specialties include milk buns, fluffy breads filled with pastry cream or red bean paste, or the currently in-vogue twisted salt breads and pastel de nata.
Most fall around $4-$7 a piece. Hours are also generous, opening at 6 a.m. and staying open until 9 p.m.
The cafe will serve a variety of savory goods - like a hot dog wrapped in flaky pastry, curry croquettes, bacon-egg-and-cheeses and egg-salad sandwiches (around $8-$9). Cakes can be had by the slice (around $9-$11) and whole (around $50-$57), with a limited selection available straight from the case and even more flavors with advance order. Flavors include a rainbow cake with visible layers, chocolate mousse with salted caramel and New York-style cheesecake, plus seasonals - for the summer that means blueberry chiffon and s’mores.
Hot and cold coffee come in a slew of flavors, too, as well as frappes, smoothies and lemonades.
The Federal Way outpost of Paris Baguette, 32225 Pacific Highway across from The Commons and in the same shopping plaza as Total Wine & More, Black Bear Diner and Legendary Doughnuts, is owned and operated by local franchise owner Eric Cao. He was inspired to pursue his own bakery thanks to his father’s entrepreneurial spirit in Vietnam and his wife’s passion for baking, according to a news release. Cao recently earned his MBA in Seattle after studying accounting in Australia, where he also managed several franchise locations.
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the Federal Way community and create a place where people can gather over great pastries, cakes, and coffee,” said Cao.
The South King County store is the fifth in Washington state for Paris Baguette. The nearest locations otherwise are in Portland and San Francisco, but the brand has expanded rapidly in the U.S. in recent years. They are scattered all over New York City, for instance, as well as other cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
While it may seem newfangled, the company behind Paris Baguette, SPC Group, has been in the baking business in South Korea since the 1940s. In its home country, it has been compared in ubiquity to McDonald’s - a familiar brand to just about everyone. The brand expanded to China in 1988, which led to an international growth spurt that now spans some 4,000 stores in 14 countries on three continents. What makes it possible, according to a 2025 BBC story about Paris Baguette, is its own frozen-dough supply chain.
Another Korean bakery chain, Tous Les Jours, has more than 100 stores in the U.S., including several in King County. Both King and Pierce counties are also home to many independently owned and operated Korean bakeries, whether inside the popular Korean grocery store H-Mart or standalone, such as Bon Bon Bakery in Lakewood.
Paris Baguette’s new Federal Way store is part of a broader expansion in North America. There are 300 locations today, but the company hopes to have 1,000 by 2030, per the press release. To that end, SPC Group is building a large production facility in Texas, expected to open in 2027.
