Eileen's Special Cheesecake

About the Business

Specialties

New York's Favorite Cream Cheese Cake!

History

Established in 1974.

Eileen's Special Cheesecake opened for business in December, 1975, and arrived in Lower Manhattan on December 4, 1976. Our location at 17 Cleveland Place, opposite Spring and Lafayette Streets, on the corner of Kenmare and Centre Streets, was not even listed on most maps. Cleveland Place has only about five buildings on the street. The Police Headquarters on Centre Street had vacated, and all the area businesses closed up. It was a "ghost town" when we first arrived, but that didn't bother us as we desperately needed a place to bake for our growing wholesale business. Eileen hadn't considered the retail aspects of the business until people started knocking on the door of the bakery wanting to buy cheesecake.

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Eileen A.

Business Owner

Eileen's Special Cheesecake opened for business in December, 1975, and arrived in lower Manhattan on December 4, 1976. It was a "ghost town" when I first arrived, but that didn't bother me because the rent was low and I desperately needed a place to bake for my growing wholesale business. I hadn't considered the retail aspects of the business until people started knocking on the door of the bakery wanting to buy cheesecake. With that encouragement, I purchased a bakery case and began to conduct retail business. Soon after our cheesecake attracted the press and we were listed in "Best Bites" in New York Magazine. Radio station WOR rated us "Number One Cheesecake" and we appeared on television quite often whipping up batters of cheesecake. Time passed, and now Cleveland Place is in a popular area where the mix of people and restaurants and shops are so unique.