From the start, Harry Rosen had two simple rules: serve great food at great prices with great service – and offer a truly incredible cheesecake. Today, that same philosophy continues under third-generation owner Alan Rosen. And Junior's is universally known to be the home of "the world's most fabulous cheesecake!", using the very same recipe as 75 years ago.
"My grandfather and his baker Eigel Peterson tested and tried countless recipes until they reached what they considered perfection," Alan Rosen relates. "While we now have more than two dozen flavors, the base is the same: a sponge cake crust, cream cheese, fresh eggs, sugar, heavy cream and a touch of vanilla. Why mess with perfection!"
To mark the historic milestone, Junior's is offering customers $7.50 off all whole cheesecakes sold in store on November 4, and $7.50 off all whole cheesecakes sold online from November 2 to November 9. Junior's is also celebrating by introducing its newest flavor: Salted Caramel Cheesecake.
Founded as a neighborhood family restaurant on Election Day in 1950, Junior's quickly became a Brooklyn institution. Harry's sons Marvin and Walter carried on his traditions, from excellent food and service to bottomless cups of coffee – one of the first in the city to do that.
"My grandfather, my dad, and my uncle always said that to be successful, you have to 'put it on the plate,'" says Alan Rosen. "That meant excellent food, affordable prices, and gracious service. They also believed that every meal – and cheesecake – deserved great coffee. My grandfather may have been the first restaurateur in New York to offer free refills."
By the 1970s, Junior's cheesecake was declared "the best in the material world" by the Village Voice and it took first place in New York Magazine's "Cheesecake Olympics."
Today, under Alan Rosen's leadership, Junior's serves millions of fans from New York and all over the world at its five locations – the original in Brooklyn, two in Times Square, one at Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut, and one in Las Vegas — plus millions more nationwide through supermarkets and online ordering. Junior's now produces over 3 million cheesecakes a year ranging in size from 1.5 ounces to 12 pounds!
Even a fire couldn't stop people's love for Junior's. On August 17, 1981, at 1:30 am, the upstairs of the original Junior's Restaurant & Bakery in Brooklyn caught fire. As firefighters battled it for 2.5 hours, crowds gathered chanting "Save the cheesecake!" Thankfully, no one was hurt and nine months later, the restaurant reopened, and the then Brooklyn Borough President declared May 27, 1982 as "Junior's Day."
On its 50th anniversary in 1999, New York City renamed the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Harry Rosen Way and Cheesecake Corner – a tribute to the man who started it all.
About Junior's
Since the 1950s, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery has been known for great food and service and, of course, the World's Most Fabulous Cheesecake. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, Junior's menu features all Brooklyn comfort food classics – from overstaffed deli sandwiches and steak burgers to seafood platters, barbecue, salads and more.
Visit www.juniorscheesecake.com
Instagram/Facebook: @JuniorsCheesecake
SOURCE Junior's
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