Is Charlotte ready for a cream puff shop? Japanese dessert chain to make NC debut

A popular Japanese dessert chain known for its light, flaky custard-filled cream puffs is making its North Carolina debut this month in Charlotte’s South End.

Beard Papa’s, a cream puff chain with Japanese origins, is opening at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 at 222 West Blvd. The cream puffs are baked throughout the day.

“The cream puffs are baked fresh on-site daily and are some of the largest cream puffs you will ever experience,” Mark Nathan, marketing director for the franchise, said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte franchise owner Linda Kuai said it’s been her dream to open a dessert shop. She landed on Beard Papa’s because the bakery focuses on cream puffs, which she said makes it unusual and different.

“I wanted to bring something new to Charlotte and North Carolina,” she told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday.

Since opening 24 years in Osaka, Japan, the small bakery has more than 400 locations in 15 countries and territories. That includes over 40 stores throughout the U.S. as the company continues to expand with recent openings in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

The closest location to Charlotte opened in 2021 about 100 miles away in Greenville, South Carolina.

What to expect at Beard Papa’s

The all-natural cream puffs are customizable at Beard Papa’s.

Customers first choose from eight cream puff shells: original, chocolate eclair, green tea eclair, strawberry eclair, honey butter eclair, OREO cookie crumble eclair, dulce de leche eclair and crispy almond.

Next, they choose the custard filling with choices from traditional vanilla, chocolate and green tea.

There are monthly and seasonal flavors along with traditional puffs, Kuai said.

Cream puffs start at $3.75 for an original, plus minis starting at $2 each to $14 for a dozen, according to the company’s website. The menu also includes cheesecake, chocolate fondant and other pastries. And the menu includes frozen custard drinks and boba tea.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, according to Beard Papa’s website. Pickup and delivery are available with online ordering.

Behind the bakery

A native of China, Kuai graduated in 2011 from UNC Charlotte with degrees in finance and management. She and husband Ricky own a UPS store franchise in Monroe.

Plans to open Beard Papa’s were postponed for two years because of the pandemic, Kuai said. But last year, the couple signed a lease on the 1,000-square-foot Charlotte space. Bearded Papa’s has hired eight full- and part-time employees, and is still hiring.

More about Beard Papa’s

The face behind the Beard Papa’s logo is founder Yuji Hirota, with his nickname coined by his regular customers in Osaka because of his fluffy white beard, according to the company’s website.

Beard Papa’s is owned and operated by Muginoho International Inc. Its principle business address office in Torrance California, according to the company’s website.

This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 12:05 PM.