Uncle Tetsu
Uncle Tetsu is a Japanese bakery chain best known for its light, jiggly cheesecakes.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Uncle Tetsu, also known as Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake or Uncle Tetsu's, is a Japanese bakery chain whose signature product is a soft, airy cheesecake. The business began in 1990 on Oyafukou Street in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Its Japanese name, Tetsu-ojisan no mise, can be translated approximately as “Uncle Tetsu's shop,” while the English-facing brand name refers to founder Tetsushi Mizokami, whose given name supplies the “Tetsu” identity. The brand developed from a local Japanese bakery concept into an international retail chain built around a narrow but recognizable product proposition. Its flagship cheesecake is distinguished by a light texture and a visibly trembling surface, characteristics that have helped separate it from denser Western-style cheesecakes. The stores generally operate as bakery outlets rather than as broad full-service restaurants, with production capacity and freshness shaping the customer experience. In some markets, demand has resulted in long queues and purchase limits. Uncle Tetsu expanded outside Japan during the 2010s. A Taiwanese branch opened in 2011, and local television exposure on the talk show Kangsi Coming contributed to strong public interest. The chain entered China in 2013, where its Shanghai products reportedly attracted extended queues and restrictions on the number of cheesecakes a customer could purchase. These limits were associated with constrained oven capacity and an effort to manage demand and availability. The first store outside Asia opened in Toronto, Canada, in 2015. The chain subsequently established a broader international presence, including outlets in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and Pakistan. Stores were reported in Sydney in 2016 and Melbourne and Auckland around 2017. In Canada, the network has included locations in Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, Burnaby, Edmonton, and Halifax. A Lahore outlet opened in 2019. Uncle Tetsu's positioning combines Japanese bakery provenance, theatrical freshness, scarcity, and a highly repeatable signature item. Although cheesecake is the central product, the brand operates within a wider bakery and confectionery format. Its international model depends on reproducing the product and store experience across markets while adapting retail operations to local demand. Available reference material identifies the chain as active, but does not provide a complete current store count, ownership structure, corporate financial information, or a definitive official website URL.
History
Uncle Tetsu originated in Fukuoka, Japan, where founder Tetsushi Mizokami opened a bakery shop on Oyafukou Street in Hakata-ku in 1990. The business was named around Mizokami's given name and developed an identity associated with a Japanese bakery interpretation of cheesecake. Rather than competing primarily through a large portfolio of conventional cakes, the chain became identified with one highly recognizable product: a soft, airy cheesecake with a characteristic jiggly texture. The early business was rooted in Japan, but its later development came through overseas franchising or store expansion across Asia and beyond. Taiwan became the first cited international market in 2011. Exposure on the Taiwanese television talk show Kangsi Coming helped drive public awareness and popularity. The brand entered China in 2013, with Shanghai becoming a particularly visible market. Reports described customers waiting for hours and purchase limits being imposed. The restrictions reflected limited oven capacity as well as the need to control demand for a product made and sold fresh. International growth accelerated during the middle of the 2010s. Toronto became the first Uncle Tetsu location outside Asia in 2015. The chain then appeared in Australia, with a Sydney store in 2016 and a Melbourne store in late 2017, and in New Zealand through an Auckland location around the same period. The brand also developed a presence in the United States, particularly in Waikiki, Los Angeles, and San Mateo. Canada became one of its most extensive non-Asian markets, with reported outlets in Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, Burnaby, Edmonton, and Halifax. Across Asia, the chain was reported to have stores in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, and Japan. The cited reference described two outlets in Japan, eleven in Malaysia, nine in Indonesia, and eight in Taiwan at the time of that account, although store counts can change and no current consolidated count is established here. In 2019, Uncle Tetsu extended its geographic footprint to Pakistan with a Lahore outlet. The brand's history is therefore defined by focused product specialization and international replication. Its cheesecake functions simultaneously as a core menu item, a visual point of difference, and a demand-generation mechanism. Queues, production limits, and per-customer purchase caps became part of the retail story in some markets, reinforcing the impression of freshness and limited availability. The available material does not establish a detailed corporate ownership history, current executive roster beyond the founder's identification, financial performance, or the precise operating status of every reported store.
- 2019
Pakistan entry
[1]An Uncle Tetsu outlet opens in Lahore.
- 2017
Expansion to Melbourne and Auckland
[1]The chain adds reported locations in Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand.
- 2016
Sydney store opens
[1]Uncle Tetsu expands into Australia with a Sydney location.
- 2015
First outlet outside Asia opens in Toronto
[1]Toronto becomes the chain's first reported location outside Asia.
- 2013
Entry into China
[1]The brand enters the Chinese market and gains notable attention in Shanghai.
- 2011
Taiwan expansion
[1]The first reported Taiwanese branch opens; subsequent television exposure contributes to strong local popularity.
- 1990
First bakery shop opens in Fukuoka
[1]Tetsushi Mizokami establishes the bakery on Oyafukou Street in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Products and positioning
A Japanese bakery chain centered on a distinctive light and jiggly cheesecake, combining Japanese provenance, visible freshness, accessible gifting, and scarcity-driven retail appeal.
Cheesecake · 1990
Signature Japanese-style cheesecake
The brand's defining product is a freshly baked cheesecake characterized by a light, airy texture and a visibly trembling surface. It is sold as the chain's signature item and has supported the brand's international recognition. In high-demand markets, production capacity has influenced availability and led to limits on the number of cakes a customer could buy.
Bakery and confectionery
Bakery desserts
Uncle Tetsu operates as a bakery chain rather than solely as a packaged-cheesecake label. Its stores sell the signature cheesecake alongside other bakery or confectionery products, although the available reference material does not provide a complete market-by-market menu.
Brand decisions
2015
Move beyond Asian marketsStrategyBackground
The chain had expanded across several Asian markets and pursued broader geographic reach.
Action taken
A Toronto store opened as the first Uncle Tetsu outlet outside Asia.
Aftermath
Canada became one of the brand's more extensive reported international markets.
2013
Expansion into ChinaStrategyBackground
After establishing a Taiwanese presence, the chain pursued further Asian growth and entered China.
Action taken
Uncle Tetsu opened in the Chinese market, with Shanghai becoming a prominent location.
Aftermath
Reported demand included long queues and purchase limits attributed to strong popularity and limited oven capacity.
Recent events
- 2019
Uncle Tetsu opens a Lahore outlet[1]
Other
The bakery chain entered Pakistan with an outlet in Lahore.
- 2019
Uncle Tetsu opens in Lahore[1]
Other
A new outlet in Lahore extended the brand's international presence into Pakistan.
- 2016
Uncle Tetsu expands to Australia and New Zealand[1]
Other
The brand opened in Sydney in 2016 and added stores in Melbourne and Auckland around the following year.
- 2016
Expansion into Australia and New Zealand[1]
Other
The chain opened in Sydney in 2016 and later expanded to Melbourne and Auckland around late 2017.
- 2015
Uncle Tetsu opens its first store outside Asia in Toronto[1]
Other
Toronto became the location of the chain's first outlet outside Asia, marking a significant step in its international expansion.
- 2015
First Uncle Tetsu outlet outside Asia opens in Toronto[1]
Other
Toronto became the location of the chain's first store outside Asia, marking a major step in its international expansion.
- 2013
Uncle Tetsu enters mainland China[1]
Other
The brand entered the Chinese market and developed a strong following in Shanghai, including long queues and limits on purchases caused by constrained baking capacity.
- 2011
Uncle Tetsu opens its first overseas branch in Taiwan[1]
Other
The Japanese bakery chain opened a Taiwan branch, where television exposure helped its cheesecakes become highly popular.
Sources1 sources
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