A Japanese dessert cafe once reigned over Toronto with multiple locations and Insta-worthy matcha creations now has only one left in the city.

Japanese chain Tsujiri is known for infusing matcha into soft serve, eclairs, cream puffs, flowing lava cakes, souffle pancakes and strawberry daifuku.

They once had located at both 596 and 4909 Yonge St. Now they've dwindled back down to their location at 147 Dundas St. W. which was opened back in 2016.

The closure of the 596 Yonge location near Wellesley was almost open and shut, the store closing down just three months after it had opened in 2019.

Matcha souffle pancakes at Tsujiri. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

A Tsujiri representative tells blogTO that was the same year the Tsujiri brand decided to go in a new direction, which they're going to be calling Tsujiri Chaho.

Changes to the brand include updates to exterior and interior design, introducing a full dine-in menu, adding more retail items to their lineup, and ecommerce features that might allow you to do things like preorder whole cakes.

The new concept should still focus on infusing matcha into anything and everything. All Tsujiri stores that have opened and will open after 2019 will adopt the new Chaho branding, such as stores in Montreal, Halifax and Waterloo.

"Recently, they set good examples for the new concept," Tsujiri CEO Uchida Shotaro tells blogTO.

"However, on the other side, unfortunately, stores opened before 2019 have been facing issues implementing the new concept mainly due to store size and layout, adding ventilation to the kitchen."

The busy interior of Tsujiri's North York location at 4909 Yonge St., now closed. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Though the last remaining Tsujiri store on Dundas West was opened in 2016, the brand is still in talks with the landlord to see how to move forward.

"There is an ongoing discussion with the landlord and us to add savoury items to the lease agreement and increase leasehold size," says Shotaro.

Tsujiri has a five-year plan to bring Tsujiri Chaho to the GTA by adding more corporate and francishe operations to the area.

So if you've been a Tsujiri fan and have been concerned by the diminishing number of locations in Toronto, don't worry, it's unlikely the brand will disappear completely. It'll just be different, and if anything, there might be an opportunity for more locations to come back to the city.