Paul (bakery) facts for kids

Paul at the Louvre Museum, Paris

Paul inside a shopping center in Le Chesnay, France

Paul in Prague, Czech Republic

Paul is a famous French company that has many bakery-café restaurants. You can find Paul in 47 different countries around the world! Its main office is in a town called Marcq-en-Barœul in France, near the city of Lille.

Paul is known for its delicious French foods. They sell fresh breads, yummy crêpes, tasty sandwiches, colorful macarons, warm soups, and sweet cakes and pastries. They also offer coffee, juice, and other drinks. This company has been run by the same family for five generations! It is currently owned by Groupe Holder, which also used to own another famous French pastry company called Ladurée.

Paul at SM Aura

The Story of Paul Bakeries

How Paul Bakeries Started

The story of Paul bakeries began in 1889. A baker named Charlemagne Mayot and his wife opened their first bakery in a town called Croix, in France. Later, in 1908, their son, Edmond Mayot, took over the family business. The bakery continued to grow.

A New Family Takes Over

In 1935, Edmond's daughter, Suzanne Mayot, married Julien Holder. He was also a talented baker and pastry chef. Together, they opened a new bakery in the Wazemmes area of Lille. In 1953, the Holder family, including their son Francis, took over a well-known bakery that was already named "Paul." They decided to keep the "Paul" name because it was so popular.

Growing the Business

After his father passed away in 1958, Francis Holder and his mother continued to run the family bakery in Lille. Francis was very dedicated to the business. In 1963, Francis opened a new Paul bakery in Lille. He worked hard with his mother to make the business bigger. In 1965, when a large department store called Nouvelles Galeries opened, Francis offered to supply all their bread. He also provided bread to other big stores like Auchan and Monoprix from his bakery. By 1970, he was able to buy a large empty factory building. He turned it into a huge bakery in a place called La Madeleine.

The Famous Wood Stove

In 1972, a special wood stove was installed at the original Paul bakery in Lille. People loved the bread baked in this stove so much! As Paul bakeries opened in shopping malls in Paris and other big French cities, the wood stove became a key part of their design. The look of Paul stores, with their signature black color, has mostly stayed the same since 1993.

Paul Bakeries Around the World

Where You Can Find Paul

As of 2022, there are more than 750 Paul bakery-café restaurants. About 424 of these are in France, and over 300 are in 46 other countries! Paul bakeries are truly global.

Paul's International Journey

The very first Paul bakery outside of France opened in 1985 in Barcelona, Spain. Then, in 1989, the first international Paul franchise opened in Japan, in the city of Nagoya. A franchise means someone else pays to use the Paul name and business ideas. Morocco was the third country outside France to get a Paul bakery, in 1998. Today, there are 14 Paul bakeries there. Paul also has many locations in the United Kingdom (34 since 2000), Lebanon (14 since 2002), and Belgium (21 since 2007). You can find them in Romania (12), Taiwan (6), Singapore (7), India (4), and over 70 in the Middle East. Paul opened its first bakery in Pakistan in March 2021, in Karachi. In May 2021, Paul opened its first Canadian bakery in Vancouver.

Countries with Paul Bakeries

Here is a list of countries where Paul bakeries have opened:

What's on the Menu?

Paul bakeries offer a huge variety of delicious items! You can find pastries, cakes, and yummy croissants. They also have sandwiches, warm soups, and savory quiches. They are famous for their many types of bread, with over 140 different kinds! To drink, they offer tea, mineral water, soft drinks, and many kinds of coffee.

See also

• List of bakery cafés