Paris Baguette has opened its first store in Laos, becoming the first Korean bakery brand to enter the country as it expands its footprint in Southeast Asia, the company announced Tuesday. The Korean bakery-cafe chain now operates in seven Southeast Asian countries, following earlier entries into Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Cambodia. Laos, one of the main economies of the Mekong region, has seen its dining and cafe market grow quickly amid urbanization and an expanding middle class, and rising interest in Korean culture among young consumers has fueled demand for premium bakery and dessert items, Paris Baguette said. The company signed a master franchise agreement with KOLAO Group, a leading Laotian conglomerate, in 2024 to enter the market. The new store is located on the ground floor of KokKok Mega Mall Patuxay, a newly built shopping mall in the Patuxay area, a key commercial district in the capital, Vientiane. The roughly 360-square-meter bakery cafe has 72 seats. The store's menu includes global signature items such as the Fresh Yogurt Cream Cake, Bes