Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Smith.
Hi Sam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started this business in 2005 after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Tucker, GA. I began selling cheesecake slices out of the back of my 2005 Chevy Tahoe at barbershops, hair salons, and car dealerships for 6.5 years on the streets of Atlanta. This allowed me to listen to the customer’s feedback and create a better product. After mastering the streets, I was ready for my next challenge. I wanted to move into my own storefront location, but I couldn’t find a location I could afford in the nicer areas of town. 80% of my customers lived off of Camp Creek Pkwy, so I was looking for a location near there. I eventually found an old pizza spot on Washington Rd in East Point, GA. This spot was in the middle of the hood in a rough neighborhood. I struggled for the first three years of business. No one came by except the customers I gained on the streets. They are very loyal, and I credit my faith in God as well as my customers for my success. I’ve been here for almost 13 years now, and the business has really grown. Now we are considered one of the best bakeries in GA.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been extremely difficult. One of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome was my health. After being in the location for three years, I began to get sick. It got so bad that I was considering killing myself. Owning a restaurant is stressful. I did not realize that I had become bipolar, and that’s what had me feeling horrible for about five years. After I got the right medication in my body, I was able to regain stability and successfully continue the operation of my bakery. A lot of people don’t realize the level of depression that can happen when you’re a business owner. I suffered from this for six years, but I made it through. I’m so happy I did.
We’ve been impressed with Sammy CheezeCake, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We specialize in making an array of cheesecakes as well as regular cakes. All of our products are made by hand using only premium ingredients. We even make our cream cheese icing using a hand mixer to get the best quality. For our cheesecake we use a graham cracker crust that is also made by hand. Our cheesecake has no fillers. At Sammy Cheezecake, we take pride in serving our customers a consistent good product where they can actually taste the love. This has allowed us to be the best bakery in GA known for our Cheesecake and our famous Red Velvet Cake. We also focus on hiring and teaching the youth culinary as well as how to succeed in life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I would not say that luck played a part in my success. I give all the credit to God and a loving family that always supported me and my dreams. Also surrounding myself with people who were successful in my industry and learning from their mistakes. One of my greatest mentors was S. Truett Cathy the owner of Chic-fil-a restaurant in Georgia. I read his book called “How did you do it Truett”. This book literally changed my life because I felt like I was reading my own story from a different time. He ended his book by saying if you want to be a great preacher then you have to hang around other great preachers. So when I wrote him a letter, I ended it by saying I want to be a great businessman, so I would like to hang out with you so some of your success can rub off on me. I was only supposed to have 30 minutes of his time, but he ended up giving me 2.5 hours of his time which was very valuable. I learned about all of the mistakes Chic-fil-a made which was very helpful for me. There is no luck in business. Only hard work and following God’s guidance to reach success.
Contact Info:
- Email: Contact@sammycheezecake.com
- Website: www.sammycheezecake.com
- Instagram: sammy cheezecake
- Facebook: sammy cheezecake
Image Credits
Chef Kazenske Roy Owner of Kings Southern Delight in Decatur Bruce C. Mom Vivian Smith Dad Samuel Smith Sr S. Truett Cathy Dee Dee Owner of Ragzz Hair Salon in East Point
