ITHACA, N.Y.—Downtown Ithaca will soon see the opening of a new bakery cafe, Paris Baguette, a global chain that will take over the former Benchwarmers Restaurant and Sports Bar location on the Commons, in the Sage Building.
Paris Baguette, touted as a “neighborhood bakery cafe,” is a franchise with more than 4,000 storefronts across the globe. The brand first arrived in the U.S. in 2005 and has since established nearly 100 locations. The menu is bakery-focused, offering breads, cakes, sandwiches, salads and coffee.
The newest arrival, which is set to open in August at 125 East State Street, is owned by Yeonseok Song. According to a press release, Song, a South Korean immigrant, and her family relocated to Ithaca in 2017 after her husband’s acceptance to Cornell University.
She became familiar with Paris Baguette because of the brand’s presence in South Korea and has a background in both banking and baking.
“The Ithaca community needs a Paris Baguette,” she said in the statement. “We look forward to providing a new and exciting place for them to gather and enjoy our great pastry and cake offerings.”
Song and her family hope to add an additional location near the Cornell campus in the next three to five years.