la.foodblogging

The cream puffs started baking at 2AM on Saturday morning in preparation for the store’s highly anticipated 10AM opening. I arrived a few minutes after 10AM and found a long line that stretched to Hollywood Blvd., packs of Japanese media, and a Muginoho exec to talk to about the grand opening. The Hollywood & Highland branch of Beard Papa’s Sweets Cafe is franchised by the same folks who own L&L, the Hawaiian Barbecue chain predominant in the South Bay.

Just as Bobbo indicated earlier today, the Hollywood Beard Papa’s is working out the kinks before it starts offering more than vanilla flavored cream (repeatedly misspelled “cram” and “whipped cram” on the promotional one-sheet!). I’ve never tried coffee, chocolate, caramel or royal milk tea, but I’m looking forward to trying all the flavors. The first 1oo customers for the first 5 days to order a dozen or more cream puffs receive a stainless steel coffee thermos with Beard Papa’s face stenciled on. It’s pretty cute. The initial hours are from 10AM - 10PM but a spokesman said if they find that foot traffic is still going strong after 10PM, they may consider staying open later on weekends.

The Marukai Market in Gardena is the next Beard Papa’s store planned for Southern California. I was told it will open in November, but with the caveat that it would probably be subject to the same permitting issues as the Hollywood site. The Gardena location is supposed to be opening in the new Marukai food court, which personally, I can’t wait to check out. Muginoho is also eyeing the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica due to all the foot traffic there. They also want to be represented on the Westside of Los Angeles. These shops are completely dependent on high volume sales. Each cream puff is $1.50 and individual stores are expected to move at least 2,000 puffs a day. Earlier this month, two sites also opened in Hawaii.

A few fearless chowhounders made the trip on opening day and posted their reports here. I can’t believe we’ve been posting updates and commenting about Beard Papa’s first Los Angeles store opening on this site since early June. I am very glad to see this baby finally open.

Beard Papa’s
6801 Hollywood Blvd. #153
Hollywood, CA 90028
323.462.6100