1889

1889 The Mayot family, agricultural workers from the Artois region in Northern France, led by Charlemagne Mayot and his wife, ran a small bakery located on rue de la Mackellerie in Croix, near Lille.

1908

In 1908, Charlemagne Mayot's son, Edmond-Charlemagne Mayot, born in 1889, took over the family business with his wife, Victorine. They had a daughter, Suzanne.

1935

Suzanne Mayot married Julien Holder. They established their own bakery on rue des Sarrazins in Lille. Their son, Francis, was born a few years later.

1953

Francis Holder began working with his parents, who had by then taken over a renowned bakery-pâtisserie owned by the PAUL family. The name PAUL was retained. In 1958, Julien Holder passed away, and Francis Holder took over the family bakery. In 1963, a second bakery was opened.

1972

Francis renovated the family bakery in Lille and, without realizing its impact, installed a wood-fired oven with full customer visibility. This simple idea, which Francis considered "common sense," was quite innovative at the time, allowing customers to see the traditional bread-making process: kneading, shaping, finishing, slow fermentation, baking, etc.

1985

PAUL opened its first bakery outside France, in Barcelona, marking the beginning of international expansion. Two years later, some bakeries incorporated a coffee space and/or a restaurant.

1987

To allow customers to enjoy products on-site, PAUL opened its first rooms and tea restaurants. This catering activity continues to be a major part of PAUL’s business in many countries in Asia and the Middle East.

1989

The first international store opened in Japan, allowing customers to discover French-style bread and become fans of croissants. The stores closely resembled the charm of Parisian shops, marking the beginning of PAUL's international adventure! From Washington to Moscow, Dubai to Johannesburg, and Prague to Singapore, PAUL has opened in over 40 countries to date. Even now, the teams of the first store in each country are trained in France. Beyond recipes, we want them to be imbued with the French Art de Vivre!

1993

Francis Holder decided to revitalize PAUL by adding two new elements to the business: the iconic black shop fronts and the development of a rustic range of specialty breads with sustainable winter wheat.

2000

Maxime Holder, one of Francis's children, opened the first PAUL in London, immediately seeing potential in the take-away coffee market, which was rare in France at that time. Twenty years later, there are around 30 PAULs in London, and coffee is now one of our top sales!

2007

Francis Holder appointed his children to continue the family story, naming Maxime as CEO of PAUL International. The fifth generation, characterized by bread enthusiasts, is driving international growth along with our social commitments.

2008

PAUL became one of the first ten French companies to sign the PNNS 2 (National Nutrition Health Plan 2). PAUL is committed to continuously improving the variety and nutritional benefits of its range. Our first action is to choose a high-fiber flour for all our breads and reduce the salt content. At the same time, PAUL removed palm oil, artificial colors, and many additives from all these recipes.

2009

PAUL celebrated its 120th anniversary by renewing the company's commitment to providing fresh bread, baked daily using traditional, time-consuming methods, introducing the "Charlemagne" baguette to honor our founder Charlemagne Mayot.

2011

PAUL remains a family business built on the foundations of time-consuming production methods passed down through five generations. This commitment is now shared in more than 20 countries with PAUL bakeries in London, Washington, Dubai, Tokyo, and many more.

2014

With 125 years of presence, PAUL becomes an ambassador of French Art de Vivre. Present in 33 countries, the company’s teams showcase their love for the craft by providing customers with the highest quality daily in a magical and unique environment.

2017

The first PAUL store officially opens in Cyprus, specifically on Zinas Kanther Street in the center of Nicosia, offering a unique French 'art de vivre' to its customers, featuring the full range of the brand’s products, including a restaurant, café, patisserie, and bakery within the store, where customers can enjoy watching the preparation of PAUL’s famous breads.

2019

PAUL expands with a second store in Cyprus, located in the newly renovated Mall of Cyprus in Nicosia.

2021

PAUL expands with its third store in Cyprus, located within the Metropolis Mall in Larnaca.

2024

"PAUL expands with its fourth store in Cyprus, located within the Marina of Limassol. Elevating the essence of French sophistication and cuisine, the new PAUL store features a unique dual space concept: the PAUL Patisserie & Espresso Bar and the PAUL Café & Restaurant.