The holidays are in full swing and that means our favorite seasonal items are back on the menu. Turkey and ham are surely iconic, yet there is always a place at the table reserved for desserts. The same could be said about restaurant menus that usually end with a small section for sweet treats. Some restaurants decide to make dessert their main course and theme an entire concept around decadent deliciousness. Enter Beard Papa’s, an eye-catching bakery that is bringing dessert all the way from the land of the rising sun.

Most restaurants derive their name from their food specialty or base it on the founder’s name. Beard Papa’s does not necessarily invoke the image of a bakery, yet the name is based on the original baker himself. In 1999, Yuji Hirota opened a small bakery in Osaka, Japan. The smell of his fresh baked pastries drew in locals and the entire town got to know Hirota. His most striking feature was a full fluffy white beard, and his customers began to call him “Beard Papa.” This inspired him to make what is now his most famous pastry, the cream puff. Eventually his customer base grew too large for the initial store and a second location was needed. The name Beard Papa’s was born and a likeness of Hirota’s face and beard became the company’s branding. From that small shop in Japan the company has grown to 475 locations across fifteen countries.

The crux of Bead Papa’s popularity is the cream puff which still uses Hirota’s original recipe in every store. The double-layered puff with a pie crust on the outside is a unique combination not found at other bakeries. The company also makes all their cream puffs to order. Usually bakeries pre-make pastries for convenience, yet Beard Papa’s believes that freshness is worth the extra time. Customers select from eight unique pastry shells then select their filing, making each puff a custom creation. The company also offers other pastry options that change regularly.

Beard Papa’s is insanely popular in Japan and that success led to demand from other countries, most notably the U.S. and have opened their first domestic location in New York in 2004. The company serves a niche in the restaurant industry, yet it still found widespread popularity with Americans. Currently the company has expanded to 42 U.S. locations in sixteen states. The company has struck a balance between offering the cozy feel of the original bakery while selling an Instagram worthy product that appeals to multiple generations. The company has its sights set bringing their unique Japanese treat to even more states.