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Paris Baguette baking up plans for second Albuquerque café

The chain’s first New Mexico location, on Albuquerque’s West Side, is a few weeks away from opening

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Paris Baguette is expanding in the Land of Enchantment like dough in an oven.

The global bakery café chain, based in South Korea, is doubling down on the state before its first New Mexico location has even opened its doors. Just weeks away from opening on the West Side, the company recently confirmed plans for a second Albuquerque location in the works at a former Carl’s Jr. at 1401 North Renaissance NE, near Interstate 25 and Montaño Road.

The new café will occupy 3,300 square feet of vacant building space and employ up to 40 people. It’s projected to open early next year, according to Krystie Iturbides, Paris Baguette’s director of franchise development.

The development comes more than a year after local contractor Prestigious Industries broke ground on New Mexico’s first Paris Baguette at 10850 Unser NW on Albuquerque’s West Side. That café shares its fresh new building with an IHOP — both of which are expected to open within the next 45 days, pending water service, according to Richard Ayala, owner of Prestigious Industries.

Iturbides said news of the bakery café’s arrival to New Mexico has been well received.

“The response from the New Mexico community has been truly exciting to see,” she said. “We’re grateful for the warm welcome and look forward to serving New Mexico guests while becoming a part of the local community for years to come.”

The New Mexico locations will broaden a footprint that includes more than 4,000 locations across the globe and more than 280 in the ϼ States. The self-described “neighborhood café” is known for its wide variety of baked goods, including cakes, tarts, pastries, doughnuts and breads, as well as sandwiches, salads and beverages.

Ayala said “it means a lot” that his company was chosen to help bring the popular café to New Mexico for the first time.

“Especially since New Mexico has usually always been behind as far as having national concepts like these,” Ayala said. “We have built a strong relationship with the franchisees and it means a lot for them to trust us with their projects.”

Iturbides declined to name the franchisees, but said they own several Paris Baguette cafés, as well as other quick-service restaurant concepts “with local ties to the Albuquerque community.”

A former Carl’s Jr. at 1401 North Renaissance NE in Albuquerque on Sunday. A local contractor recently applied for a permit to remodel the site into a Paris Baguette.

The franchisee group discovered the former Carl’s Jr, which shuttered in December 2025, within the last couple months. While customers in other markets are known to drive across town to patronize their Paris Baguette locations, Ayala said, the New Mexico franchisees pursued the former fast-food property to offer a location that is more centrally located within Albuquerque.

“It is a pretty busy area,” Ayala said, citing a nearby Sam’s Club, Costco Wholesale, Revel Entertainment and Top Golf.

The contractor applied for a permit to remodel the 3,300-square-foot former Carl’s Jr. a little over a week ago, according to the Albuquerque Planning Department’s ABQ-PLAN map. Ayala said he is hoping to receive the permit within the next month or so to complete the project by the end of this year.

The remodel will include installing new kitchen equipment, millwork, paint and finishes, as well as giving the exterior a “complete refresh to suit the (Paris Baguette) concept,” Ayala said.

Between the acquisition of the building — which was built in 2000 — and the remodel costs, the franchisees are investing roughly $4.5 million into launching the North Renaissance Boulevard location, Ayala said.

Paris Baguette’s New Mexico expansion doesn’t appear to be stopping at two. Once the first pair of locations are up and running, Ayala said the franchisees plan to bring two more locations to Albuquerque and one to Santa Fe; though, these locations have yet to be determined.

“The franchisees saw that there is a market in Albuquerque for these types of cafés and want to have a dominant presence … and bring a new concept for the community,” Ayala said.

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.