Carrie Fanizzi says she began cooking and baking as a "stress reliever." Today, if there is any stress, it involves keeping up with the accelerating demand at her business, Big Mama's Cheesecakes.
Fanizzi, who is not nearly as big as the caricature that accompanies her company logo suggests, started selling cheesecakes three years ago, primarily as a wholesaler to local restaurants. Now, there's an added and growing demand from retail consumers in Central New York and out of town.
The demand is driven in part by appearances at events like Taste of Syracuse and the New York State Fair, where Fanizzi sold cupcake-sized cheesecake samplers.
Now Big Mama's needs more space. The current bakery/store is at 2107 Brewerton Road in Mattydale. By November, she expects to be in new quarters in Northern Lights Plaza, next to Michaels. It will have more baking and storage space and room for an expanded retail counter.
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