A new dessert shop has opened its doors at 8700 N. Tarrant Pkwy. #103 in North Richland Hills, selling cheesecake by the slice, whole cheesecakes and mini bite-sized versions out of a storefront built entirely around one family's recipe box. Cole's Custom Cheesecakes is takeout-only, with no seats for dining in, but that hasn't stopped its best-selling flavor from becoming a local favorite before the shop even has a permanent menu.
According to CultureMap Fort Worth, owner Cole Jones first launched the company in 2020 while he was caring for his grandmother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. During that time, he learned her recipes and began selling cheesecakes out of the back of his car before moving on to pop-ups, farmers markets and partnerships with other businesses, including JR's BBQ-N-More. Jones is described as a hospitality veteran who built his recipes around both his passion for cheesecake and a desire to preserve his family's heritage.
A Sweet Potato Pie That Became the Star
That family history shows up most directly in Grandma's Sweet Potato Pie cheesecake, which features the flavors of what was once his grandmother's signature pie. Manager Airos Gilchrist told the outlet that the flavor has become the shop's runaway favorite, saying, “The sweet potato pie is our best-seller.” Gilchrist also said Cole's grandmother is the heart of the business and that Cole uses her recipes — a tribute reinforced inside the shop, which displays a large photo of her alongside her recipe books, per the same report.
The rest of the lineup leans toward familiar comfort flavors with a few twists. Beyond the sweet potato pie, the shop's offerings include Bourbon Apple Pie, Caramel Pumpkin, Lemon Blueberry, NY Style Plain, NY Style with Strawberries and Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter, the station's report notes. The new location sits in a shopping center alongside Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard and Kindred Coffee, occupying a space that was previously a cookie and doughnut shop.
Pre-Order Pricing and Pickup-Only Hours
For now, Cole's Custom Cheesecakes is keeping things simple: pre-orders are available for whole 9-inch cheesecakes priced from $50 to $60, a dozen mini bite-size cheesecakes priced from $30 to $47 depending on variety, and a dozen cheesecake-filled chocolate-covered strawberries priced from $40 to $45. The business's own website lists hours as Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and says it currently offers pickup only, recommending orders be placed at least 72 hours in advance, according to Cole's Custom Cheesecakes. The site also says its cakes are baked fresh to order rather than frozen, and that the shop can accommodate special flavor requests and dietary considerations.
Gilchrist acknowledged that the shop is still working out exactly what its full offerings will look like. “We're still in opening mode and figuring out what we'll offer, but eventually, we'll have a set menu,” Gilchrist said, with plans for a variety of flavors to be available on site once that menu is finalized. The company's rise from a car trunk to a storefront earned it a Best New Business Award from the Keller Chamber of Commerce in 2023, a recognition that came years before Jones had a brick-and-mortar address to call his own.
