A familiar North Raleigh retail destination is preparing for a new chapter, this time with French pastries, freshly baked breads and coffee on the menu. Paris Baguette is taking over the former Zest Café and Home Art space at 8831 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, inside Six Forks Station Shopping Center. Franchisee Devang Shah signed a lease for the 4,500-square-foot space in September and is targeting summer 2027 for the bakery’s opening, Triangle Business Journal reports.
As reported by the publication, the space previously housed Zest Café, a Raleigh establishment that served the community for 30 years before closing at the end of 2025. Paris Baguette’s arrival will introduce a different kind of café experience to the property, with a menu built around French-inspired baked goods, cakes, savory offerings and coffee.
Shah and his wife already have experience in the franchise business, operating two Cold Stone Creamery locations in the area. Their interest in Paris Baguette developed after visiting one of its cafes in another city. Shah told Triangle Business Journal that the food quality, selection of freshly prepared products and overall customer experience stood out, prompting the couple to investigate the company’s U.S. expansion strategy and franchise model.
Shah also highlighted the property’s accessibility from both the highway and surrounding local roads, along with the established residential community, as important factors in choosing Six Forks Station.
The Raleigh Café is part of a larger commitment from Shah, who signed a franchise agreement earlier this year covering multiple Paris Baguette locations. Triangle Business Journal reports that he intends to open at least one additional café after getting the first location operational. The Raleigh project is expected to create between 20 and 30 jobs, with Shah anticipating a combination of personal capital and bank financing to support future development.
Paris Baguette, headquartered in New Jersey, has more than 300 cafes across the United States and over 4,000 locations worldwide, according to figures cited by Triangle Business Journal from the company’s website. The brand already has two Triangle-area cafes, in Cary and Brier Creek, although neither is owned by Shah.
With a summer 2027 target, the Six Forks Road bakery will add another location to Paris Baguette’s growing Triangle footprint while giving the former Zest Café space a new identity.
