HIGH POINT, N.C. — Daniel Gray has an interesting nickname that his goddaughter, Brooklyn, gave him. He was known to make cheesecakes for family events, cookouts and birthday parties.
What You Need To Know
Daniel Gray is known as Uncle Cheesecake, a nickname from his goddaughter and name of his business
He owns two bakeries, Uncle Cheesecake and Babycakes, which are both located in High Point
He says what make his cheesecake stand out is that the dessert is lighter and not as sweet
“I remember sitting down with one of my good good friends, and he would always have his daughter call me Uncle Cheesecake.”
Gray always knew he wanted to be in the food industry, and he knew he needed a name that would stick. He recalls a time when he was at a cookout with friends, and they had been going through a list of possible names for almost two hours.
When his friend, Khayri, told Brooklyn to hand Gray something he said, “go grab this from uncle cheesecake. I remember everyone stopping and thinking this is the ah ha moment. Like this is the name we are going to call this company,” Gray said.
Another sweet thing about Gray, he was also a contestant for the show "Chopped," which he says helped validate him as a chef. He said it was a good experience to prove to himself that he was who he thought he was.
Gray owns two bakeries, Uncle Cheesecake and Babycakes, which are both located in High Point.
Making cheesecake is truly his passion, and he enjoys every second of it. He occasionally holds cheesecake tastings for folks, so he can see how they’ll react to his new recipes.
“I put a lot of work and effort into making cheesecakes, and so when you see it done and you finally get through it, I think it's fun to see how people feel about your creation,” he said.
What makes his cheesecakes stand out is the fact that they are a lot lighter, they're not as sweet, and they're much smoother than a New York-style cheesecake.
Gray's advice for those interested in starting their own business in food is to stick with it.
“The food industry has a very high failure rate, but I think it's something that if you're passionate about and you consistently put out good food, anyone who’s trying can make it,” Gray said.