Paris Baguette has opened bakery café in San Jose, California, creating more than 30 new jobs. The grand opening is planned for Friday, April 29.

The San Jose location will be owned and operated by local resident Joshua Kim, who is Paris Baguette’s first franchisee since the company began franchising in August 2015. Kim has additional plans for two more locations in the San Jose market.

With a degree in industrial engineering from DongGuk University in Seoul, Korea, Kim grew up with a passion for food watching his mother run a restaurant in Korea. He went on to open a string of Belgian Waffle stores in Korea from 1997 to 1999, further solidifying his transition from the engineering field to the food industry.

Now, as the owner of Refresh Foods, Inc., a healthy meals and beverage retail company, and the director of operations in California for Paris Baguette since 2007, Kim looks forward to his first Paris Baguette franchise sharing similar success experienced by locations in the Santa Clara and Palo Alto markets.

“I cannot wait to share these delicious products with the people of San Jose,” said Kim. “Our guests can choose to either grab a quick treat on-the-go, or lounge inside our spacious bakery to indulge in a decadent dessert, savor a sandwich or catch up with friends over steaming mugs of coffee.”

Specializing in French-inspired cakes and pastries, Paris Baguette aims to provide guests with “the best way to happiness” through indulgent treats and savory eats. In addition to its French offerings, the company places an emphasis on applying global cuisine to its menu, including items such as the Strawberry Mojito. In addition to offering coffee and small sandwiches, it is best known for items such as fruit bites, croissants, feuilletes au chocolat, blueberry chiffon cake and chocolate strawberry cake.