Manchester Cheesecake Company To Re-establish Retail Presence

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester Cheesecake Company is making a retail comeback, but this time its brick-and-mortar storefront will ave an added dimension.

Owner Teresa Sharpe said she was scheduled to speak with a real estate broker Thursday about setting up shop at the Hilliard Street mill building. She said the move will not only brings back a cheesecake store, but give other ;local crafty people a chance to show off what they make.

"This new location will serve as both the bakery and the shop, saving time and money and allowing me to get back to the basics and catch up with my customers," Sharpe said.

The space will allow Sharpe to pursue another passion — "supporting other local makers with dreams as big as mine."

She added, "I'll be able to house a small shop where other makers without storefronts can sell their creations. In the future, I hope to share my kitchen with baking entrepreneurs who find themselves in the position I have been in for a few years — with a great recipe, all the passion, and just in need of a kitchen to bake and a counter to sell!
This project is your chance to back a great woman-owned business and create an opportunity for many other local makers and bakers at the same time."

Making cheesecakes started out as a hobby for Sharpe and then becomes a business. In 2020, she set up shop on Main Street in Manchester with baking facilities offsite. Sharpe said in an effort to expand the business, she began to work the fair and market circuits in Connecticut and eventually found a wholesale partner.

The business boomed and in 2020 she closed the storefront to focus on the wholesale angle.

"I'm ready to welcome customers back into my shop," she sad. "Now that my wholesale business is strong and providing steady income, I'm ready to take the leap and reopen a storefront location, this time in a place where I can have a kitchen so that I can bake on-site."

In addition to letting local "makers" share the store, Sharpe is inviting members of the public to take a financial interest in the business.

"I'm excited about what the location has to offer, but it will need to be built out as a kitchen. The main cost will be for equipment including ovens, work tables, refrigerators, and a sink," Sharpe said. "Additional costs include the renovations such as kitchen flooring, plumbing, and miscellaneous repairs. With your help, this space can become an efficient kitchen, a shop for local makers, and a welcoming spot for you — my favorite customers."

See how to participate here.

Sharpe said she will release a timetable once details on the location are finalized.