Rock Hill is about to get a lot sweeter. Van Hoesen House of Cheesecakes is shifting from online orders and pop ups to a full brick and mortar location this spring, with plans to land at 9226 Manchester Road. The small St. Louis bakery is targeting a mid April opening, with a lease reportedly still in the works, and is gearing up to scale production for both retail customers and events.
Storefront Plans And The Menu
According to St. Louis Magazine, the Rock Hill shop is expected to feature a Traditional Sweet Collection, ranging from New York style plain to key lime, lemon blueberry and orange creamsicle. Rotating specials are set to include flavors like cinnamon roll and a butter rum cheesecake with a roasted coconut crust.
The bakery also leans into unexpected savory territory. Its Savory Garden Vegetable cheesecake mixes sautéed onions, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and peppers for a flavor profile that sounds more like a dinner party than a dessert tray.
Founders, Flavor And Production
Founder Tyrone “Ty” Van Hoesen started the company in 2019 after years of home baking and a stint in corporate banking. He told St. Louis Magazine that “the main thing that makes our cheesecakes unique is that everything we use is real ingredients made from scratch.”
Director of marketing Gregg Henry, who oversees crust recipes, spotted the Rock Hill storefront while scouting the neighborhood. The team says it is aiming to produce roughly 300 to 500 cheesecakes per week once the operation is fully scaled.
Where To Find Them Before The Shop Opens
Until the keys are in hand, Van Hoesen is still working the pop up circuit with minis and full cakes. The bakery has been appearing at Third Degree Glass's Third Fridays, as listed by the Delmar Maker District.
It is also slated to be part of STL Coffee Fest on Feb. 28 and March 1 at 18Rails in City Foundry STL, according to the festival schedule on STL Coffee Fest.
Ordering, Sizes And Shelf Life
For those who cannot wait for a walk up counter, Van Hoesen currently sells cheesecakes through its online shop in 9 , 6 and 4 inch sizes and spells out local delivery and shipping options on its ordering page. The company notes that its cheesecakes keep for about a week in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to three months, per Van Hoesen House of Cheesecakes.
What To Watch For
If the lease comes together and the timeline holds, a mid April opening would add another specialty food storefront to Rock Hill and give the brand a permanent home after years of testing flavors at festivals and maker markets. Once the doors open, the big questions will be whether customers can snag walk in slices, pair their cheesecake with coffee or lock in preorders during dedicated pickup windows.
