EACH LOCATION CARRIES ABOUT 100 MENU ITEMS, INCLUDING PASTRIES, CAKES, SANDWICHES AND BEVERAGES. | ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOUS LES JOURS.
A LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE
ahead, growing close to 31%. Both concepts not only compete with each other for the treat customer, they also go up against coffee chains such as Caribou and dessert destinations like Nothing Bundt Cakes (No. 64 in the Technomic ranking.) Historically, Tous les Jours locations had smaller footprints and relied more heavily on kiosk formats in malls and retail food outlets like H-Mart. But going forward, “they’re much more of that ‘sit and stay’ cafe format … creating an environment that’s inviting and draws people together, encouraging them to sit and stay for a while,” said Schneider. The uncertainty around the economy may be a factor affecting growth, but she still sees a total of 200 cafes by the end of 2025. That said, Tous les Jours relies on some equipment and other imports coming from Korea, so tariffs would certainly have a slight impact, she noted, but the company is building production facilities stateside and opening another corporate office on the east
coast. “We’ve been doing things to set up an infrastructure that supports growth in the U.S.” On the menu side, Tous les Jours is positioning itself as a “flavor thought leader,” Schneider added. “I look at brands like Jeni’s Ice Cream or Salt & Straw as inspiration.” She cites Tous les Jours’ new ube and matcha collections as leading with flavor. “They’re both very vibrant, colorful and have a depth of flavor and authenticity that sets us apart,” Schneider said. “How do we take what’s always been a foundation of the brand, and then layer on flavors throughout the year that fit the moment? Some may be traditional American flavors, some may be Asian-inspired flavors, but we want to get ahead with doing some flavors that larger brands might not have the ability to explore.” And who is the brand’s high potential customer of the future? The culturally curious foodie, she believes. It’s sure to be one who also embraces treat culture and Instagram.
Tous les Jours has actually operated as a franchise-led brand in the U.S. for 20 years, but only in the past few has the company put a big push behind expansion. The leadership team has been beefed up with a chief development officer and is making an effort to sign multi-unit franchise owners. “The brand grew with Korean-American franchisees who opened stores in their neighborhoods. That’s the foundation of the brand, with a lot of our franchisees operating one, two or three stores,” said Schneider. “But as we grow, we are opening up in neighborhoods and in communities that are certainly more diverse and with more diverse franchisees.” In 2024, the number of U.S. locations grew by 39% to 150, according to Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant report, with sales increasing 27% year-over-year. Paris Baguette’s sales were just a few points
JULY 2025 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
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