Meet Vanessa Drews | Founder, Owner & Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Drews and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting my own business stemmed from my love for creating delicious cheesecakes that was enjoyed and loved by my family and friends. My love for baking grew into a passion and I always felt as though if I ever had the ability to bake full time, I could grow my brand into many restaurants, markets and directly to customers. Growing my business to bake for weddings, birthday parties, or any celebration, was, and still is, high on my list of accomplishments! Growing through a global pandemic and still here – helps confirm that my passion for baking is what I need to be doing and that expanding my small business in any way is my mission in life – alongside being a wonderful mother to my two children.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a single mother and entrepreneur, I find myself always checking things off my to-do lists. I am proud of the growth my brand has had, especially trying to scale during a global pandemic. In August 2019, I made the decision to leave my 20 year legal career and invest in myself and grow Cheesecake Funk. Little did I know that seven months later the world would shut down and my business would be in jeopardy. I have come through the past few years stronger, wiser, and extremely focused. The word pivot is something we all know too well, but it was what I had to do in order to provide for my children and I when there were little resources available for non-restaurant food industry businesses.

My daily mission is creating outstanding cheesecake for everyone, especially people who don’t usually care for cheesecake. I am proud that many people have mentioned, “I don’t eat cheesecake, but I will CRUSH Cheesecake Funk!

I am also very grateful to the late musician Prince. Prince was the person who came up with the name Cheesecake Funk after enjoying cheesecakes at Paisley Park!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Twin Cities has much to offer and enjoy. From visiting, and of course, taking a tour of Prince’s magical space, Paisley Park, enjoying a slice for three of Cheesecake Funk as you leave the building, is a must. I would also make sure people take in the beautiful Minneapolis skyline at the Stone Arch bridge. There are many amazing restaurants here as well: Spoon & Stable, my friends over Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar restaurants, The Butcher’s Tale, Union Rooftop, Trax Burger Bar, and one of my favorites for amazing nachos, Lago Tacos in Excelsior. Visiting the Lake Minnetonka area year round provides for great adventures as well.

Of course people would need to visit the Cheesecake Funk headquarters at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest hotel in Minnetonka. I always welcome visitors to the hotel and its restaurant, Blue Birch. Come to the hotel to enjoy an amazing meal, slices of my cheesecake while enjoying the hotel’s accommodations.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will forever and always give my thanks and gratitude to everyone who placed orders and supported Cheesecake Funk over the years, especially during the midst of the pandemic. The support of my family, friends and everyone at my previous employer, Robins Kaplan LLP, since I made the decision to grow my business, I am forever thankful for.

I also will forever be grateful for the opportunity to work for Prince, which allowed me to share my love of baking with him. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Prince would reference my cheesecakes as “Cheesecake Funk” on invitations to Paisley Park…but, he sure knew how to spread the word internationally about my cheesecakes! I am forever thankful for his belief in my creations.

Something else I am very grateful for his making lifelong friends during my time working for Prince. I met one of my closest friends, Liv Warfield, who has over the years encouraged me at times when I doubted myself. Pro tip: find friends who encourage you to follow your dreams! Being an entrepreneur is hard, but having great people in your corner is the best motivation in the world.

Last, I wouldn’t be in a position to grow Cheesecake Funk, especially during the pandemic, without the love and support of my mother, Kathy Drews. We are a team at Cheesecake Funk, and a team at raising my children during the past few challenging years. I’m forever thankful to my mom for believing in me and my business as well.

Website: www.cheesecakefunk.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheesecakefunk/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-drews-451268a/

Twitter: @1cheesecakefunk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CheesecakeFunk

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cheesecake-funk-minnetonka

Image Credits
Paisley Park invitation: Paisley Park Cheesecake photos and Vanessa Drews headshot: Ope! Brands