New Paris-inspired bakery and restaurant set to open next week in east Wichita
It’s been almost a year since IHOP franchisees Mike Issa and Moe Touffaha announced plans to open a Paris Baguette restaurant in Wichita.
Now, it’s about to happen.
Opening day for the restaurant, which is at 9780 E. 21st St. North, is set for Thursday, Nov. 10, said Issa (who is not the same Mike Issa who owns Scotch & Sirloin.)
Construction is nearly complete, the signs are up and lighted (and drawing lots of attention from passersby, Issa said). Early next week, the franchisees plan to start training employees.
“We’re extremely happy,” Issa said. “The place looks amazing. It’s beautiful. We’re very excited to open and have the public come and see us.”
Paris Baguette, which started in South Korea in 1988, specializes in French-inspired cakes and pastries and also serves sandwiches and salads as well as a line of coffee and tea. The chain is popular in Europe and is now pushing a U.S. expansion.
The restaurant’s pastries are made fresh daily, Issa said, as are its sandwiches, cakes and crafted coffee drinks. (See the full menu below.) It also does catering. Its hours will be 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily.
The new Wichita restaurant has 3,000 square feet and an outside patio, which likely won’t get much use until spring, Issa said.
Issa and Touhaffa aren’t finished opening Paris Baguette restaurants in the area, either. They plan to add one on Wichita’s west side as well and are in the process of identifying a site.
They’re also working on opening a Paris Baguette next year near Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, though construction there has not yet started. The duo also recently opened one in Birmingham, Michigan.
Issa said he thinks Wichita will like the restaurant, which he and Touhaffa both fell in love with during visits to New York City. The closest Paris Baguette to Wichita is in the Dallas area.
“This will be a nice addition to Wichita, especially because we’re the only Paris Baguette in the whole area,” he said.
