Dochi, a local craft donut pop-up specializing in Japanese mochi donuts, has officially announced that it will be opening a new location in the Jacksonville Town Center this summer. 

Co-founders  Jason Le and Frank Phan will be partnering up with local restaurateur brothers Jimmy and Johnny Tung to bring Dochi from Orlando to Jacksonville -- transforming the 1000 square-foot, 20-seat space previously occupied by Mochi Frozen Yogurt at 4860 Big Island Drive next to BENTO Asian Kitchen + Sushi.

“Ever since we opened Bento 11 years ago, we wanted to introduce Jacksonville to new and exciting food concepts, progressing the food scene with Domu, Soupa Noodle Bar, and Norikase” said Jimmy Tung. “We’re proud to be part of that push to grow the community’s food culture boundaries.” 

Dochi began as a pop-up at Orlando’s East End Market in 2018, and then expanded to Lake Nona’s Boxi Park the following year. The concept currently occupies a small space upstairs at East End Market with three other locations -- two in Seattle , and one opening soon in Denver. The brand has recently announced it’s first brick-and-mortar location will open this spring in the Orlando Mills 50 district.

Both originally from South Florida, Frank and Jason were childhood friends whose travels and culinary background steered them on the path to start the local donut brand.  Jason, who worked for JetBlue, discovered mochi donuts during his travels to Japan and Hawaii, and Frank had previous donut shop experience.  Following the success of Dochi in Orlando, Jason is now on the west coast focusing his attention on Seattle, Denver and other west coast markets while Frank will oversee the new locations in Orlando and Jacksonville. 

The concept specializes in house-crafted Japanese mochi donuts. The donuts are made fresh each morning, and the shop rotates its creations seasonally. Popular flavors that have gained Dochi a loyal following include Ube Glaze, Taro Pebbles, and the Japanese-inspired Matcha Oreo.  The brand will eventually be offering mochi pops and waffles along with its cult-favorite donuts. 

Light, airy and chewy in texture, mochi donuts are made with sweet rice flour, and typically contain half the amount of calories as the standard cake or yeast donut.  Resembling a ring of smaller round pieces, the donut has a unique shape that is meant for it to be broken apart and shared.  

Mochi donuts have gained massive popularity on the west coast and Hawaii, and Dochi will be the only shop in the southeast to offer this Japanese treat.  The new Town Center location will be offering fresh made coffee and specialty drinks like the Strawberry Matcha Latte, Ube Milk Tea, and Vietnamese Yogurt Coffee to complement those soft, fluffy donuts.   

Dochi Jacksonville will be open 7 days a week, and offer event catering along with delivery through UberEats, and Doordash. 

With the Orlando Mills 50 and Jacksonville Town Center locations very close to opening their doors, Dochi has its sights set on Tampa and South Florida next. 

“What drives us is the reaction we get from someone opening a Dochi box, and seeing those delicious, colorful donuts for the first time. That makes it all worth it,” says Frank. 

Follow @dochi.fl on Instagram for updates on opening!