Tous les Jours describes itself as a Korean-French fusion bakery, originating in South Korea like its closest rival, Paris Baguette (No. 112 in Technomic's Top 500 ranking of the largest U.S. restaurant chains.) But Regina Schneider, CMO of the chain’s North American operations, doesn’t see that rivalry as a roadblock to growth.
“We’re both niche players and it’s almost like a race, to try to see who can expand fastest in the U.S.,” she said. “But I think it just increases the awareness of the category. There still is a huge opportunity for consumers to really understand this Korean-French fusion pastry lineup.”
Los Angeles-based Tous les Jours offers an extensive selection of baked goods, all made fresh daily in each of its more than 160 U.S. cafes, which Schneider estimates will number 200 by year’s end. The signature is the brand’s Cloud Cake, which comes in flavors including strawberry, mango, green tea and mocha, all artistically decorated with fresh fruit and other edible garnishes.
“There’s a lot of attention to detail and ‘wow’ factor in the cakes, but the actual flavor, the level of sweetness and the texture are also very differentiated,” said Schneider.
All the cakes can be purchased whole or by the slice, the latter to motivate customers to sit in the cafes for a treat break. The average location has 20 seats. “We're really striving to create a beautiful, warm environment that encourages people to sit and stay,” she added.
Tous les Jours also offers a large assortment of French-Korean-inspired pastries, such as guava Danish, strawberry croissants and yuzu pie, along with more familiar almond croissants and pain au chocolat.
Each location carries about 100 menu items, including pastries, cakes, sandwiches and beverages.
“We have 300 menu items in our assortment, and every store carries at least 100, so there’s a broad range,” said Schneider. “Additionally, we differentiate by serving a number of items that are a traditional Korean format, like the coffee bun and milk bread. People go out of their way for these.”
There are also savory pastries and sandwiches and an expanding beverage menu. A number of drinks are Asian-influenced, with choices like ube latte and honey lavender matcha latte, along with more mainstream espresso drinks and teas. “We’re seeing a huge increase in sales of beverages, and in iced beverages in particular,” she added.
The all-day menu and ambiance feed into the burgeoning “treat culture” trend. “Today's consumers are really looking for those small, affordable, everyday indulgences that provide moments of joy and don't necessarily require a special occasion,” said Schneider.
She believes that for Millennials and Gen Z in particular, the aesthetics of products are often as important, if not more important, than the flavor. “So we really strive to deliver these beautiful treats that aren't just treats from a flavor standpoint, but that make you feel special, just because they're so beautifully made and packaged,” she added. “You can walk away feeling like you had a really special moment.”
The aesthetics have also turned the menu items into Instagram darlings, and that, in turn, reinforces their treat culture cred.
A look toward the future
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 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.)
The newer Tous les Jours cafes invite guests to sit and stay a while, creating a more social treat break.
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.”
Rolling out just this month is a new loyalty app. “We're trying to really increase this digital-first approach to marketing,” said Schneider. “Historically, the brand has relied on store-level marketing with a little bit of PR and corporate events. Now we're trying to embrace the digital ecosystem and start investing there. In particular, as we start to expand into new markets, it's really critical.”
New food and drink items in ube and matcha flavors are differentiators.
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.
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