Paul (bakery)
| Company type | Private (SAS) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual/bakery-cafés |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Headquarters | Marcq-en-Barœul, France |
Number of locations | 750+ (424 in France) |
Key people | Charlemagne Mayot, founder |
| Products | Breads, including bagels, loaves, and muffins; cold sandwiches; hot panini; salads; soups; cakes; and pastries |
| Parent | Groupe Holder |
| Website | boulangeries-paul |
Paul is a French bakery and café franchise with a presence in 47 nations, headquartered in Marcq-en-Barœul, within the Greater Lille area of France. The company focuses on traditional French bakery offerings such as breads, sandwiches, pastries, alongside beverages including coffee, wine, and beer. Owned by Groupe Holder, Paul represents a family enterprise spanning five generations; Groupe Holder also held ownership of the prestigious pâtisserie brand Ladurée from 2002 until 2021.
History
The enterprise was established in 1889 by Charlemagne Mayot and his wife in Croix, located in the Nord region of France. Their son Edmond Mayot assumed control in 1908. In 1935, Suzanne Mayot wed baker Julien Holder, and together they launched a bakery situated in Lille's Wazemmes neighborhood. By 1953, the Holders along with their son Francis acquired management of a renowned bakery-pâtisserie operating under the "Paul" brand.
Following the passing of his father in 1958, Francis Holder propelled the business forward. After completing military service in 1963 with modest funds, he inaugurated a new Paul bakery in Lille and secured significant retail partnerships with chains such as Nouvelles Galeries, Auchan, and Monoprix. In 1970, he converted a defunct industrial facility in La Madeleine into a large-scale baking operation.
A wood-fired oven introduced at the Lille bakery in 1972 became emblematic as Paul expanded its footprint into shopping centers throughout France. Aside from adopting a black color scheme in 1993, the design aesthetic of the stores has remained largely unchanged.
Locations
By 2022, Paul managed over 750 bakery-café outlets globally, including 424 within France and upwards of 300 spread across 46 additional countries.
The brand’s first establishment beyond French borders opened in 1985 in Barcelona. The initial international franchise commenced operations in 1989 in Nagoya, Japan. Morocco followed suit in 1998 with 14 bakeries. Expansion continued to the United Kingdom—with 34 locations since 2000—Lebanon (14 since 2002), Belgium (21 since 2007), Romania (12), Taiwan (6 since 2008), Singapore (7 since 2012), India (4 including one under construction), and over seventy outlets across the Middle East since 2013.
Paul also maintains branches in key cities such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Beirut, Brussels, Bucharest, Cairo, Cape Town, Casablanca, Doha, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Nouakchott, Prague, Rabat, Riyadh, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, and Washington.
In March 2021, Paul inaugurated its inaugural bakery in Karachi, Pakistan. Subsequently in May 2021, it opened its first location in Canada within Vancouver.
Menu
Paul offers an extensive selection of items, including pastries, cakes, beignets, croissants, sandwiches, soups, quiches, tarts, crepes, eggs, along with more than 140 types of bread. Their drink menu comprises tea, wine, beer, mineral water, soft beverages, and coffee specialties.
| Year Established | Country |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Spain |
| 1990 | Japan |
| 1998 | Morocco |
| 2000 | United Kingdom |
| 2002 | Lebanon |
| 2003 | Kuwait, United Arab Emirates |
| 2005 | United States |
| 2007 | Belgium, China (closed), Jordan, Réunion (France) |
| 2008 | Romania, Taiwan |
| 2009 | South Korea (closed 2013) |
| 2010 | Czech Republic, Greece |
| 2011 | Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Singapore |
| 2012 | Luxembourg, Russia, Saudi Arabia |
| 2013 | Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Oman, Philippines |
| 2014 | Azerbaijan, Thailand, Ukraine |
| 2015 | Panama, Poland |
| 2015 | South Africa |
| 2016 | Georgia, Portugal, Vietnam |
| 2017 | Belarus, Cyprus, Gabon, Malaysia, South Africa, Tunisia |
| 2018 | Mauritius |
| 2019 | Uzbekistan, India |
| 2021 | Pakistan, Canada |
| 2022 | Armenia, Mauritania |
| 2023 | Cameroon, Italy |
| 2024 | Mongolia |