BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The highly anticipated Paris Baguette bakery-café in downtown Bethlehem is approaching completion, with final interior work currently underway.
Owner Lan Ma reports that millwork installation and kitchen equipment hookups are being finalized this week at the ground floor location in the BOYD apartments on Broad Street.
“We are approaching the tail end of the interior build out,” Ma said. “This week we are installing all the millwork, which are all the furniture, and also all the kitchen equipment will be hooked up today.”
The franchise’s core team has been undergoing intensive training at Paris Baguette’s corporate headquarters in New Jersey.
The four-week program includes specialized training for bakers and cake decorators to ensure product quality meets corporate standards.
“Corporate requires four weeks of training which shows how much they care about their processes, the quality and the standard,” Ma said.
According to Ma, the business has exceeded corporate hiring recommendations, with 32 full-time employees already hired compared to the suggested 24.
Additionally, approximately 20 part-time high school students from Freedom and Liberty high schools will join the team.
While no official opening date has been announced, Ma indicated they are targeting final inspections between April 14-18.
If they receive their certificate of occupancy by April 18, they anticipate opening shortly thereafter, with hopes of scheduling a grand opening around Mother’s Day weekend.
Ma describes the café as her “pay forward project for the community,” envisioning it as “the community’s collective living room” where people can “reestablish human connection” while enjoying pastries.
The team has already begun community outreach by delivering sample pastries made during training to various local organizations, including the Bethlehem Mayor’s Office, Bethlehem Police Department, and Hellertown Borough Office.
