Biscuits and gravy are out, mochi doughnuts and Korean corn dogs are in at one of Clermont’s most familiar corners. Mochiry, a Korean dessert and snack shop known for mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs, is set to take over the longtime Papa's Diner building, trading a nearly 40-year breakfast institution for a colorful, late-night-friendly sweets spot.
City permit shows conversion
City of Clermont building-permit records list permit No. 25-3021 as an “Interior renovation former 'Papa's Diner' to 'MOCHIRY,'” with an applied date of June 25, 2025, and an approved/issued date of Sept. 9, 2025. The permit assigns a job value of $50,000 and identifies the address as 626 E Hwy 50, confirming that interior work has been authorized. These records are posted via the City of Clermont.
Mochiry's regional footprint
Mochiry launched in Gainesville and expanded to Downtown Orlando earlier this year, building a following for its chewy “bubble ring” mochi doughnuts, boba tea, and customizable Korean corn dogs. The Downtown Orlando debut was spotlighted by TastyChomps, while the chain’s full menu line-up is laid out on the official Mochiry site. The brand leans hard into bright, Instagram-ready desserts and late-night snack options that are a far cry from a traditional diner spread.
End of an era for Papa's Diner
Papa's Diner, a family-run breakfast mainstay for nearly four decades, announced in November 2024 that it would close permanently after negotiations with the landlord over needed renovations fell apart. “We regret to inform everyone that we will be closing permanently on Sunday, November 17th,” owner Brittany Lopez wrote in the restaurant’s farewell message, as reported by Lake & Sumter Style. Regulars had long counted on home-style breakfasts and seasonal pies at the Highway 50 fixture.
Timing and what's next
The takeover plan connecting Mochiry’s next location to the former Papa’s Diner site surfaced publicly on June 12, 2026, in reporting from the Orlando Business Journal. That coverage, alongside the city’s permit records, confirms the concept swap is in motion, but there is still no publicly posted opening date for the Clermont shop. Final inspections, business-license approvals, and a visible “opening soon” announcement will likely be the first clear signs that Mochiry is ready to start serving.
What it means for Clermont's food scene
Turning a 40-year diner into a dessert-and-snack destination reflects a broader Central Florida trend toward specialty sweets and K-food concepts. Local coverage of Mochiry’s Orlando launch highlighted its mochi doughnuts and Korean hot dogs as the kind of items that pull in crowds beyond the usual breakfast rush, according to Bungalower. For Clermont, that means the familiar Highway 50 corner is poised to swap out bottomless coffee and biscuits for glazes, boba and a very different kind of comfort food.
