Located at 2020 W Brandon Blvd in Brandon, popular dessert shop Kichi Taiyaki is planning to expand to a second location. The new Kichi Taiyaki is slated to open in Lakeland, at 3958 Florida Avenue South, according to recent coverage by That’s So Tampa.
“Famous for its TikTok-worthy desserts, Kichi Taiyaki has garnered attention for its fluffy soufflé pancakes and delightful jiggly sweets shaped like capybara, kittens, and ducks,” the coverage says. “These handcrafted desserts are almost too adorable to eat, but their irresistible flavors make them impossible to resist.”
The menu features treats like “soufflé pancakes, taiyakis, soft-serve ice cream, bingsu, and boba tea,” with pancake flavors that “range from ube and Biscoff to brown sugar and crème brûlée with special options like matcha white chocolate and a savory furikake flavor.”
Behind Kichi Taiyaki is owner Kim Nguyen. What Now was unable to reach the dessert shop owner (who is also a Mochinut franchisee) this week, but Nguyen said the following about the Kichi Naiyaki concept in an interview with CanvasRebel.
“‘Kichi’ is a Japanese word that translates to… ‘fortunate,’” said Nguyen. “We feel so fortunate to able to serve our customer the best Japanese desserts in the Tampa Bay… At Kichi Taiyaki, we work to focus on quality and consistency in the products we provide to the customer. Our desserts are made fresh to order and are made from the highest quality ingredients.”
No opening date has been announced for the Lakeland location. There is a great deal of uncertainty as the greater Tampa Bay area and Central Florida in general faces the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
A list of emergency resources is available here, at Tampa.gov.
