What makes for a perfect cheesecake? According to Laila Jazar, “it’s rich but not too heavy, melts in your mouth and creamy, and super flavourful. And I think our cheesecake nails it.”
Laila launched her business in December 2017 and her first market was the inaugural Burlington MADE. When her family first encouraged her to start
selling, she replied, “That’s silly. Who’s going to buy cheesecake from me?” and she’s now supplying Nordstrom. I caught up with her to find out how she got there.
How has Laila’s grown since 2017?
We’re on the verge of some huge moments and hiring has been the biggest progress. Wholesale customers are now reaching out to us, so we’ve gotten a lot of brand exposure in the last year.
What has been your biggest obstacle?
Learning to say no has been a huge challenge especially because if cheesecake makes people happy I want to give it to them!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully you’ll see our cheesecakes available all across Ontario. Ideally we would love to stay handmade, so we’re working on maintaining that quality but being more accessible. There’s a quality to small-batch, fresh-made products that really does make you want more.
What’s your favourite flavour?
Blueberry! That’s what started it all.
Catch the full video interview at burlingtonmade.com/blog
by Stephanie Finn
Stephanie Finn is the founder and creative director of Burlington MADE handmade and foodie markets, and a small business coach serving creative entrepreneurs at Stephanie Street Co. We’re excited to welcome Stephanie’s voice and her new features on local makers to Look Local Magazine.
