Here's how Pueblo's 'worst places to live' ranking inspired comforting cheesecake

When Pueblo was named the 19th-worst place to live in America in 2017 by 24/7 Wall St., an online financial news company, one local resident set about changing that label — one bite at a time. 

Thomas Cosgrove was inspired to start his Cheeescake by Thomas business in 2017 despite having already retired from a 26-plus-year career with Village Inn in Denver. He moved to Pueblo because it was a more affordable place to live. 

“In 2017, Pueblo was nominated one of the worst places to live in America. I decided I have got to do something to make the people here in Pueblo feel good, at least just for a few minutes,” he said. 

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As he sat at a stoplight at Fourth Street and Santa Fe Drive, it hit him — cheesecake. 

“I said to myself, ‘I don’t know how to make it, but I’ll learn. I don’t care for cheesecake myself, so in order to sell it I have to love it,’” Cosgrove said. 

So he started studying and experimenting. 

“I created my own recipe. It took six months or so of dabbling and trying different ingredients,” he explained. 

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Six ingredients and an old-fashioned baking method

The final six ingredients he ended up with for his New York-style cheesecake are “the best I can get and I love it.” He uses the old-fashioned water bath baking method which takes about two hours and ensures the cheesecake is creamy. 

The favorite flavor so far is an orange ‘Dreamsicle’ cheesecake which incorporates four Turkey Hill orange popsicles, orange extract, one whole orange including the rind and orange gelatin candy. 

Other top contenders are the turtle cheesecake with chocolate, caramel and pecans; strawberry cheesecake with fresh strawberries; and the triple berry cheesecake which features a puree of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries in the batter. 

Customers can order individual slices or the entire cheesecake. Judging by repeat business, his customers approve of his offerings.  

About 65-to-70% of them keep coming back for more. Among his repeat customers is retired teacher Doris Ortega who initially ordered two slices of cheesecake for herself and her husband. 

“It changed my whole outlook on cheesecake. My husband, who does not like cheesecake, took that first bite and said something like, ‘Oh my gosh I don’t like cheesecake but I’d eat this every day,’” she said. 

Ortega said the couple love the lemon cream cheesecake and recently tried tiramisu, inspired by a coffee-flavored Italian dessert. 

“It was one of those mind-changing things and had glorious, beautiful pieces of artwork. You can’t pick a favorite because you will change your mind a million times,” Ortega said. 

After a rough 2020, during which he lost his mother and ended up taking time off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cosgrove is back in full swing. His customers were eager to order and “everybody started calling,” Cosgrove said. 

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33 flavors and an artistic touch

Cosgrove currently has 33 flavors of cheesecake on the menu. But for Cosgrove, it is about more than just the flavor as he wants to make cheesecakes that are works of art. 

At Village Inn he started as a line cook in 1984 and ended his career 26 years later as a regional manager overseeing 16 restaurants. That did not prepare him to make cheesecake, let alone artistic cheesecake. 

So he taught himself how to do everything from sugar art to pastry-bag piped-on whipped cream decorative touches to elevate the cheesecakes to an elegant, breath-taking level. 

“I want to be high-end and give the best service I can. So I offer what I call the cheesecake experience,” he said. 

From the point of ordering online to the point of getting the cheesecake via personal delivery to a few days after when he calls to make sure it was satisfactory, Cosgrove said he works to offer the full experience. Customer service is something he did learn at Village Inn. 

“It is absolutely in his heart to make sure you are happy and really celebrating. He is here for Pueblo,” Ortega said. 

Another benefit is that he has no limits. 

“I let them customize it any way they want it. If you can think of it, I will make it,” he said. 

That includes gluten-free cheesecake which does not involve the traditional graham-cracker crust. Instead, he creates different crusts like a blueberry muffin crust with almond flour and fresh blueberries. 

He is working on a fudge brownie base that will be gluten-free and plans a Black Forest-themed cheesecake with cherries to go with it. 

“I think the gluten-free (cheesecakes) are better because you get something besides the boring old graham cracker crust,” he said with a laugh. 

Cosgrove admits his cheesecakes aren’t cheap. Cheesecakes start at $35 for plain, average $65 and can run as high as $129 for the Amaretto cheesecake with its spectacular sugar art. 

Cosgrove needs a day-or-two notice to create a whole 9-inch cheesecake. He rents space in a health department-approved commercial kitchen where he bakes the cheesecakes. 

Delivery is included at no extra charge in Pueblo, Pueblo West and from Avondale to Colorado City. He has to charge a little extra for delivery to Canon City or Colorado Springs. 

“I am working on getting shipping going and I am in the phase of testing it. I will have to decide a shipping menu so it will be up to my standards when it is delivered,” he said. 

Once a month he offers $5 cheesecake slice specials with six different varieties available. Slices usually cost between $7 and $15. 

"I know what people expect and they want to be wowed,” he explained. “I am having the time of my life.” 

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To find out more, visit cheesecake-by-thomas.business.site.

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.