- Doki Doki, a beloved Japanese-style bakery in Salt Lake City, will close April 19.
- Owner Irie Cao cited health concerns and financial pressures for the decision.
- Cao thanked the community for its support after nearly a decade in business.
SALT LAKE CITY — Doki Doki, which made a splash in Salt Lake City's food scene when it opened nearly a decade ago, quickly becoming one of the state's more beloved Japanese-style bakery and dessert restaurants, is closing its doors.
The restaurant's last day will be on April 19, according to Irie Cao, the restaurant owner and founder. She announced the closure last week, citing physical and mental health concerns, as well as the "financial pressure" of running a business.
"I never imagined it would grow into what it became: a space filled with creativity, energy and award-winning treats that brought so many of you through our doors," she wrote on social media last week. "This decision has been one of the hardest of my life. ... My heart and soul are now calling me elsewhere, where my family and my next chapter are waiting."
Doki Doki, 249 E. 400 South, opened to acclaim in 2018. Cao and her family came to Utah from Vietnam about five years before its opening. She told Salt Lake Magazine shortly after the restaurant's opening that she had learned to make Thai rolled ice cream at a previous job and Japanese crepes on vacation, both of which influenced what she offered at Doki Doki.
The magazine also praised Doki Doki a few years later as one of the city's "most authentic Japanese bakeries." It was also a frequent honoree within Salt Lake Weekly's "Best of Utah" awards.
The store will be open daily through its last day on April 19, Cao wrote. Customers responded to the post, saying they will miss the restaurant, and thanking Cao for introducing them to rolled ice cream, fluffy pancakes and other sweet treats.
"I'm definitely going to come in for one last treat. I hope all the best for your future endeavors and may your life be filled with as much joy as you have brought to all of us," one person wrote.
The announcement comes as other restaurants in and around the city have endured challenges. The Chubby Baker, a popular bakery that started in Salt Lake City, closed all three of its Utah locations in October after its founder, Ying Nance, stressed that financial challenges had made it "increasingly difficult to sustain the business."
Current Fish and Oyster/Under Current, Laziz Kitchen's downtown location, along with the Back Door on Edison, as well as Policy Kings, Pizza Bar and Aquarious Fish Company, also closed last year, but some have already been replaced by new restaurants.
Killa Nikkei, a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant, opened at the site of the former Current Fish and Oyster/Under Current restaurant, 279 E. 300 South. Laziz Kitchen's downtown location at 152 E. 200 South is now home to Gossip Kitchen, an Italian restaurant. That's on top of other restaurants opening in the ever-shifting food industry.
Cao hinted at a return someday, calling Doki Doki's closure "just the end of this chapter." She also thanked the Salt Lake community for supporting her business.
"You didn't just support a business. You gave life to a dream," she added. "You showed up in ways I will never forget, and turned this little shop into something so much bigger than me."
