Utah’s only source of Japanese fluffy pancakes — cute and wobbly souffles stacked three high and topped with fruit and sweet sauces — is going away.

Doki Doki, at 249 E. 400 South in Salt Lake City, is closing, according to a Wednesday night Instagram post from owner and chef Irie Cao. The Japanese dessert cafe’s last day will be Sunday, April 19, and it will be open every day until then.

“This decision has been one of the hardest of my life,” Cao wrote in her post. “... I’ve had to face the truth I can’t ignore anymore: My health, both physically and mentally, needs attention, and the financial pressure of running this business has become more than I can carry.”

“Doki Doki gave me everything,” Cao continued. “But it also asked for everything.”

Cao thanked the community, writing, “You didn’t just support a business. You gave life to a dream. You showed up in ways I will never forget, and turned this little shop into something so much bigger than me.”

“Because of you, this wasn’t just a place for dessert; it was a place for memories, connection and moments that mattered,” Cao continued.

Klara Han, baker and co-owner of Kyookie, which specializes in Korean desserts and is working toward opening a physical location in Salt Lake City, responded to Cao’s post, saying, “We’re going to miss you so much. I’ll always remember how your souffle pancakes and taiyaki made me feel a little closer to home.”

“Thank you for bringing something so special to the SLC dessert scene, you’ve truly been such an inspiration to us,” Han continued.

Adalberto Diaz, the co-owner, founder and executive chef of the bakery Fillings & Emulsions, also replied to Cao’s post. Diaz wrote, “We are so sorry to see another beautiful local business [go] while more and more out-of-state franchises take over our market.”

At the end of her post, Cao hinted that her desserts might return someday. “This isn’t goodbye forever. Just the end of this chapter.”

Cao opened Doki Doki in 2018, and started out making Japanese crepes and rolled ice cream, the post said.

Later in 2018, Cao began offering the cloud-like fluffy pancakes when they began taking off on social media in Japan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fluffy pancakes became highly popular in America.

Doki Doki’s fluffy pancakes attracted the attention of Utah foodies and influencers, but at the beginning of 2025, Cao told The Salt Lake Tribune that Doki Doki was in danger of closing after experiencing a monthslong slump in sales.

On Thursday, Cao said, “People should support more local business.”