Founded by Sam in 2014 while she was in college, The Cheesecake Girl makes handmade cheesecakes and desserts for Columbus, Ohio. What began with a cheesecake baked for culinary class grew through pop-ups and local partnerships into a small team with shops around Columbus, plus nationwide shipping that reached all 50 states in 2022. The company also creates custom dessert spreads and wedding cakes for events.
Sadie Baby SweetsFounded by Rachel Altiere in May 2014, Sadie Baby Sweets is a Columbus sweets shop that creates custom treats and styled dessert tables for celebrations. What began with family-and-friend orders and local farmers markets has grown into event work that included serving as the official baker for the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament. The Knot also selected Sadie Baby Sweets for its 2022 Best of Weddings award.COLUMBUS, OH
Hiatus CheesecakeBorn from founder Matthew Featherstone’s first cheesecake-making experiments with his mother, Hiatus Cheesecake makes cheesecakes and other dessert components in-house from its Baltimore commercial kitchen. Featherstone officially launched the company in 2016 after testing a homemade cheesecake with coworkers at Graces Mandarin, and Hiatus soon grew from a restaurant vendor into a Mid-Atlantic supplier for Sysco and Whole Foods Market. The Baltimore bakery has also appeared on QVC and HSN.BALTIMORE, MD
Cheryl’s CookiesFounded in Columbus on September 23, 1981, Cheryl’s Cookies bakes and ships gift-ready cookies and other desserts, best known for its cut-out cookies hand-iced with four-ingredient buttercream frosting. The company began with a small store at Columbus’s French Market and now produces more than 100 million baked goods each year, while continuing to serve customers through Central Ohio stores and nationwide gifting. Cheryl’s Cookies is part of the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM family of brands.WESTERVILLE, OH
DessertWorks CakeryEstablished in 2000, DessertWorks Cakery is a Sharonville, Ohio bakery creating custom wedding cakes and special-occasion cakes for the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Owner and pastry chef Sandra Wilkerson-Lehn has personally designed wedding cakes for more than 29 years, working one-on-one with couples in a boutique, small-batch operation that books no more than four wedding cakes per weekend. Cakes are made to order with scratch-made icings and fresh ingredients, with dessert tables available for celebrations beyond the wedding day.CINCINNATI, OH