Beard Papa's, a Japanese Pastry Concept, Wants 300 U.S. Stores by 2024

Beard Papa's - a 20-year-old Japanese pastry concept with more than 400 locations worldwide - is targeting the U.S. with plans to open 300 stores by 2024. The company has just over 30 stores in the U.S. (California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington), 27 of them franchised. The company is initially looking to expand in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Texas.

Founded in Osaka, Japan in 1999, Beard Papa's sells cream puffs and eclairs with unique flavors including green tea, crème brûlée, and dulce de leche, as well as fondants and dessert and custard cream drinks. Customers can create their own combinations by choosing a shell and a custard flavor. Its first U.S. store opened in 2004 in New York.

"The product is completely unique. There's nothing really out there to compare to it," said President and CEO of U.S. operations Pamela Fazio, a 25-year restaurant industry veteran and former multi-unit franchise brand president, in an article in QSR magazine earlier this month. "It's not too sweet, and it's airy, light, and fresh. That's what got me hooked." Stores typically run about 800 square feet.