Greenpoint has no shortage of coffee shops and baked goods, but that’s not stopping this global chain.
South Korean chain Paris Baguette will soon set up shop at 856 Manhattan Avenue, in the former home of Starhawk Design, which closed last year after a decade.
The new Greenpoint location continues the chain’s rapid expansion further into New York City, with locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. A Williamsburg location opened just last year, and the chain also has stores in Long Island City and Sunnyside.
Paris Baguette self-styles as “your neighborhood bakery cafe.” The menu offers a plethora of pastries, most of them French-inspired, though Paris Baguette also draws inspiration from a variety of cuisines. It also offers more substantial options such as salads and sandwiches.
No word yet on an official opening, but the website says “coming soon.”
Walking up and down the neighborhood’s busiest commercial thoroughfare might give one a strange sense of foreboding, as storefront after storefront sits hollowed out, with nothing but a “for rent” sign. The chains have long taken root in Greenpoint, though in the recent past, they existed within a precarious equilibrium of between them and the locally-owned businesses. Now, as commercial rents show no signs of slowing, it feels increasingly uncertain whether this balance can hold out much longer.
Hopefully, 856 Manhattan’s neighbor, the former Upright Coffee, remains locally owned. I will continue to put out into the universe that I would love a Vietnamese coffee shop (Larry’s Ca Phe, I love you, but you’re a bit out of walking distance from me!)
Nice pic. Especially the layer cake. Tough to get one in Greenpoint. Ovenly had one but closed. Too many croissants and other sweets. I am surprised it will open so soon, since somebody told me the former owner has no gas line and it takes an arm and a leg and a bank loan to get one installed.
Something new in a storefront is better than nothing? But they have 4000 locations, this is like the Korean version of McDonald’s. Seoul Baguette didn’t test so well in Gen Z focus groups? The Paris bit is so contrived. Is this better or worse than Blank Street (smooth brain brand)? Sure, everyone has a right to do business, I’ll keep supporting the Greenpoint indie cafes while they last.