Butter Pecan Cheesecake
Cheesecakes by Alex has satisfied the collective sweet tooth of Greensboro, North Carolina, for two decades now, all thanks to Alex and Vera Amoroso (and, well, Vera’s mother — more on that later). And this family-owned community pillar has celebrated accordingly, with the opening of a second location in Winston-Salem, sister city of Greensboro. Located in the bustling arts district, Alex describes the location as a place they have always felt comfortable — as though it was where they should be.
Alex grew up in the food industry, entering it the hard way by mopping floors at age 15 and slowly working his way up, running multiple kitchens and working as a sous chef for many years. For him, it was all about the savory side of things. “Baking was just something that was added to whatever we did,” he explains.
His cheesecake obsession began one fateful evening when Vera’s mother had a hankering for something sweet. Alex found some cheese and crust in his fridge and decided to bake a cheesecake. But he wasn’t happy with the final result. Motivated by his losses, Alex baked cheesecake after cheesecake, until he had achieved perfection, which he describes as: “Sweet, but not too sweet. Melt-in-your-mouth velvety, not heavy. The perfect marriage between cake density and fluffiness, with flavors that expose themselves in layers.”
After encouragement from friends, Cheesecakes by Alex was born — and soon took on a life of its own. “I’ve written so many business plans for restaurants, but I could never have written one that explains what happened with this business,” Alex says. “It was just one of those things — the right product, the right place, the right time.”
Alex and Vera decided to lease a space to bake cakes at night. Alex worked his 9-to-5 sales job, and then baked with Vera until about 2 or 3 in the morning. The space was not retail, but customers came knocking anyway, asking for a slice of the celebrated cake.
From then on, Cheesecakes by Alex was fueled by customer demand. Customers wanted to buy directly from the shop, so Alex and Vera invested in a cash register. When customers said they wanted to stop by in the morning, the bakery started serving coffee and bakery treats.
About four months in, Alex quit his job in sales to pursue his cheesecake business full time. “The response I got from the cheesecake really sealed the deal for me. I enjoyed making it, but I really enjoyed when people ate it,” Alex says.
With blueberries from their farm and dairy from a nearby creamery, Cheesecakes by Alex sources locally whenever possible as they create their iconic flavors. Not sure what to order out of the 20-plus flavors available daily? Alex’s personal favorite is Key Lime, while Vera’s is an espresso-inspired flavor. Customer favorites include the NY Style, White Chocolate Raz and Butter Pecan. Have a craving for something not on the menu? Chances are, they’ll listen to your suggestion.
White Chocolate “Raz” Raspberry Cheesecake
Alex now reflects on the crazy growth they’ve experienced: “It started out with myself and my wife. Now we have roughly 35 people on staff, including my son who runs the kitchen, and two trucks. It’s just amazing and it’s nothing you could really expect to happen. It’s built from 100% community support — they embraced us from the beginning and took care of us.”
For more information about Cheesecakes by Alex, visit cheesecakesbyalex.com.
