A jiggly slice of Hokkaido cheesecake is now on the menu in Land O' Lakes. Mr. Bear, a Japanese-inspired dessert and coffee shop known for its cloud-like soufflé cheesecakes and boba milk teas, opened during September 2026 at 16970 Focus Loop, marking the brand's second American location after its debut in New York City.
From Flushing to Florida
Mr. Bear first made its U.S. debut in February 2025 on Prince Street in Flushing, Queens, where it built a following for its fluffy cloud cheesecakes and oolong tea drinks, according to Uber Eats. That Queens storefront helped establish the brand before its owners set their sights on Land O' Lakes for expansion. State corporate filing records show that Mr. Bear Tampa LLC was incorporated on January 8, 2026, listing Jin Fu Chen and Xiuming Chen as authorized members based at the Focus Loop address, according to the Florida Department of State.
Before its full-scale launch, the shop hosted a four-day soft opening from September 10 through September 13, according to a Facebook post from a local customer. The shop serves cheesecakes and drinks. Hokkaido, one of Japan's northernmost islands, lends its name to the dessert style. One Google reviewer cited by That's So Tampa raved that the drinks are beautiful, like works of art, gotta try their boba milk tea, tiramisu latte and triple matcha.
A Wobbly Dessert With Deep Roots
The soufflé-style cheesecake that Mr. Bear specializes in traces back to the 1960s, when Japanese chef Tomotaro Kuzuno created the technique after a visit to Berlin, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. Kuzuno's method involves whipping egg whites separately and baking the batter in a water bath, producing a wobbly, airy texture far lighter than a traditional New York-style cheesecake. The appeal isn't just textural — in East Asian culinary traditions, describing a dessert as not too sweet is considered the highest form of praise, per reporting relayed by Hoodline.
Inside a Booming Retail Corridor
Mr. Bear's new home, The Hub at Bexley, is a 50,000-square-foot open-air commercial center delivered in 2023. The property changed hands: investment firm CenterSquare acquired the center from developer Center Connect Development in a sale arranged by commercial broker JLL.
Mr. Bear now joins a food and beverage lineup at The Hub at Bexley that includes BellaBrava, Stillwaters Tavern and Taco Bus, according to North Tampa Buzz.
