The Cheesecake Girl

What The Cheesecake Girl does

The Cheesecake Girl, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned artisan cheesecake and dessert bakery founded by Samantha in 2014 (with formal operations starting in 2016) and headquartered in Ohio. The company produces handmade cheesecakes and adjacent desserts — full 9-inch cakes, mini cheesecakes, cookie sandwiches, trifle jars, and rotating seasonal specialties — using traditional methods supported by stand mixers, with all products handmade and a continuously rotating flavor menu across year-round and seasonal SKUs.

The company distributes through five owned retail locations in the Columbus, Ohio metro area (Hilliard/Center Street, Budd Dairy Food Hall, Dublin, New Albany, and Wexner Hospital), supplemented by third-party local delivery via DoorDash and UberEats, and a nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping channel that reached all 50 U.S. states by May 2022 after launching in January 2022. Catering for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations is operated as a dedicated vertical with a catering manager (Lauren), custom cheesecake and dessert displays, and presence on The Knot, Zola, and WeddingWire. A mobile operation ("Cheese Force One") supports pop-ups and events around Columbus.

The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors. Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced retail sales (e.g., $9 per slice, $3.95 per mini cheesecake, $5 per cookie sandwich, $12 per trifle jar, with full 9-inch cheesecakes priced by flavor) and one-off catering orders, with a small historical wholesale stream. The customer base is predominantly local Columbus individual consumers and wedding/event SMB customers, plus a nationwide DTC tail, with no enterprise anchor accounts.

Name

The Cheesecake Girl

Legal name

The Cheesecake Girl, LLC

Website

https://thecheesecakegirl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cheesecake Girl is a privately held, founder-owned artisan cheesecake and dessert bakery operating five retail shops in the Columbus, Ohio metro, with DoorDash/UberEats delivery, nationwide shipping across all 50 states, and a dedicated wedding and event catering vertical.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheesecake Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques (CRAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC), Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies) (THAFAFAH)

Keywords

• Artisan cheesecake bakery
• Handcrafted specialty desserts
• Wedding cake catering
• Dessert retail shops
• Small-batch baked goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilliard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail In-Shop Sales: Customers purchase individual cheesecake slices, full 9-inch cheesecakes, mini cheesecakes (sold by the dozen), cookie sandwiches, trifle jars, and other treats directly at the company's physical shop locations. Minis are available as an assortment of 6 for $23 or 12 for $45.
2. Catering & Events: Custom cheesecake orders for weddings, events, and corporate catering. The company offers custom mini cheesecakes, full wedding cakes, cheesecake shooters, push pops, and dessert displays. Managed by a dedicated catering manager (Lauren).
3. Third-Party Delivery (DoorDash & UberEats): The company partners with DoorDash and UberEats for local delivery within the Columbus area, enabling customers to order treats for delivery directly to their homes.
4. Nationwide Shipping: Shipping cheesecakes to customers nationwide. The company started nationwide shipping in January 2022 and shipped to all 50 states by May 2022.
5. Wholesale: Early wholesale relationships included selling to a restaurant in Powell, Ohio (2016), and adding a sales case at Sunny Street (July 2018).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cheesecake Girl is a small-batch artisan bakery that handmakes and sells cheesecakes and dessert treats, including full 9-inch cheesecakes, mini cheesecakes (sold by the dozen), cookie sandwiches, and trifle jars in rotating seasonal flavors. The company sells directly to consumers through five retail shops in the Columbus, Ohio metro area, ships cheesecakes nationwide to all 50 states, and offers custom catering for weddings and events.

Product overview

The Cheesecake Girl is a small-batch cheesecake and dessert bakery offering three core product lines: Full Cheesecakes (9-inch traditional cheesecakes in various flavors serving 8-10 people), Mini Cheesecakes (bite-size versions sold by the dozen), and Cookies & Treats (cookie sandwiches and trifle jars). The company operates multiple retail locations in the Columbus, Ohio area (Dublin, Hilliard, New Albany, Wexner Hospital, and Budd Dairy Food Hall) and offers catering services for weddings and events including custom cheesecakes, mini samplers, and themed dessert displays. Additional services include nationwide delivery via DoorDash and UberEats, e-gift cards, and community event hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full 9-inch Cheesecakes Handmade 9-inch cheesecakes available in rotating seasonal and year-round flavors; serves 8–10. Sold whole for retail, catering, weddings, and nationwide shipping.
• Mini Cheesecakes Bite-size cheesecakes sold individually at $3.95 each or by the dozen; in-shop assortment of 6 for $23 or 12 for $45. Used for events and retail purchases.
• Cookie Sandwiches Handmade cookie sandwiches with cheesecake filling, including birthday cookie sandwich ($5), oatmeal cream pie ($5), and seasonal varieties.
• Trifle Jars Layered cheesecake-and-cake desserts served in 16oz jars, such as the red velvet Oreo cheesecake trifle jar priced at $12 each.
• Wedding and Event Catering Custom cheesecake-based catering for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations, including custom mini cheesecakes, full wedding cakes, cheesecake shooters, push pops, and dessert displays. Managed by catering manager Lauren.
• Gift Cards E-gift cards sent by email or text in variable denominations, redeemable at Dublin, Hilliard, and Wexner locations.
• Nationwide Cheesecake Shipping Direct-to-consumer nationwide shipping of cheesecakes ordered via the company website, reaching all 50 U.S. states as of May 2022.
• Puppy Donuts Peanut butter and pumpkin dog-friendly donuts dipped in peanut butter with a milk bone sprinkle, sold at $3.50 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shipped to all 50 U.S. states (as of May 2022)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ill Mannered BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst pairing event with Ill Mannered Brewing took place in June 2016, which sold out quickly and helped launch the brand's Instagram. This was an early partnership that validated market demand for The Cheesecake Girl's products.
• North MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cheesecake Girl partnered with North Market, a beloved Columbus institution, during its growth from scrappy pop-ups to a full-time business.
• Budd Dairy Food HallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBudd Dairy Food Hall is home to one of The Cheesecake Girl's five shop locations, opened in April 2021. Budd Dairy runs on a separate Point of Sale system and has its own gift card program.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash serves as a local delivery partner for The Cheesecake Girl, enabling customers in the Columbus area to order treats for home delivery.
• UberEatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUberEats serves as a local delivery partner for The Cheesecake Girl, enabling customers in the Columbus area to order treats for home delivery.
• Lil Donut FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLil Donut Factory's blueberry cake donuts are used as a key ingredient in The Cheesecake Girl's seasonal blueberry donut cheesecake slice, representing a product collaboration with a local donut maker.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Levain Bakery: New York-originated specialty cookie and dessert bakery that expanded to multiple cities and built a national shipping business around a single iconic product format. Closely comparable on the boutique-to-national expansion arc and DTC shipping-driven growth.
• Carlo's Bakery: Famous multi-location bakery known for custom celebration cakes, wedding cakes, and televised brand-building. Comparable on the custom-cake-and-wedding-catering vertical and high-recognition specialty bakery positioning.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes: Franchised dessert cake chain with hundreds of retail locations focused on a single dessert category (bundt cakes) sold in multiple formats (full, mini, individual). Comparable business model: single-category focus, multi-format SKU strategy, and event/catering emphasis.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Columbus, Ohio-based premium small-batch dessert brand with multiple retail scoop shops, nationwide shipping, and a strong local founder-led identity. Closest geographic and operational peer with comparable premium positioning, multi-format menu, and DTC shipping model.
• Crumbl Cookies: National rotating-menu cookie and dessert franchise with a similar model of weekly flavor drops, multi-format offerings (cookies, mini desserts), strong Instagram-driven brand, and rapid multi-location retail expansion. Most directly comparable on GTM motion, marketing playbook, and product format.
• Insomnia Cookies: Multi-location late-night cookie and dessert delivery brand with strong direct-to-consumer and third-party delivery channel mix. Comparable on the late-evening indulgent-treat positioning and delivery-first GTM motion.
• Sprinkles Cupcakes: Pioneer cupcake-focused bakery chain with multiple retail locations and nationwide cupcake shipping. Comparable on the boutique single-category dessert shop model and DTC shipping channel expansion.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic boutique bakery with multiple retail locations and a strong wedding/event catering business. Closely comparable on the cake-and-dessert boutique retail model, custom celebration cake offerings, and event-driven revenue stream.
• Tatte Bakery & Cafe: Specialty bakery-cafe with multiple retail locations, premium positioning, and a strong Instagram-driven brand. Comparable on the elevated boutique bakery-retail experience, multi-format pastry menu, and urban/suburban store-rollout strategy.

Broad incumbents

• The Cheesecake Factory: National full-service restaurant chain whose brand is synonymous with cheesecake in the U.S. Overlaps with TCG on the core dessert category but operates a fundamentally different (dine-in, broad menu) model; represents the dominant incumbent TCG must differentiate against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecheesecake.girl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cheesecake Girl