Ein eigenes Café klingt nach viel Geld… aber lohnt sich das wirklich?

Business Summary

Gina’s Cheesecake Heaven is a cheesecake-and-coffee business operating in Hamburg’s Alsterhaus department store. Gina says she founded the company in 2018, first opening a shop in Winterhude. After about a year, Alsterhaus approached her and offered her a space—an opportunity she says came through the retailer discovering the business, rather than through a standard application process.

Business Model and Economics

• Pricing: A slice of cake costs €6.50. Gina says ingredient costs are relatively high because she prioritizes quality; the price also needs to support the pastry and service teams.
• Location agreement: The Alsterhaus arrangement is a revenue-sharing concession, rather than fixed rent. That can make weaker months easier to manage, while the department store shares in stronger sales.
• Financial disclosure: The interview gives no revenue, profit, margin, rent-share percentage, or startup-capital figures, so profitability cannot be assessed numerically.

Products, Production, and Operations

• The core range is cheesecake, with roughly 15–17 regular varieties plus a rotating cake of the week. Popular sellers include Franzbrötchen cheesecake and Lotus cheesecake.
• Gina developed the recipe after taking inspiration from The Cheesecake Factory and experimenting with American cream cheese. The final product combines cream cheese with German quark.
• Gina initially handled baking, service, and cleaning herself. The business now has two pastry chefs who make cakes to her recipes, with production on-site. The team has six people in total, including the pastry chefs.
• Bakers start around 6–7 a.m. Cakes are produced a day ahead, kept cold overnight, and decorated in the morning. The shop is open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily except Sundays.
• Production planning is tied to demand and the weather. Gina says rainy weather brings more customers to the department store, so the team checks forecasts when deciding how much cake to make.
• The operating aim is to sell out rather than carry substantial excess stock. If there are leftovers, staff receive them; Gina says the amount discarded is now small.

Sales, Customer Experience, and Marketing

• Customers range from families and groups to nearby office workers. The business also has takeaway sales and receives birthday and event orders, though Gina clarifies that it does not directly provide catering.
• Regular customers are important to the business. Gina describes one customer who has bought the same “Original” cheesecake slice every day for about a year and a half.
• Coffee quality is treated as part of the product proposition, not just an add-on. The business tested many roasters before choosing one, and employees receive barista training. It also offers tea, hot chocolate, chai latte, and matcha.
• The drinks selection includes Hamburg-based Fritz products rather than Coca-Cola.

Founder Lessons and Recommendations

Gina says she would not repeat her original launch process exactly: she was young, lacked relevant business knowledge, and faced serious difficulties early on.

Before opening, she experimented with recipes and spent about six months writing a business plan, which she submitted to a bank. She says the bank responded positively.

Her advice to prospective café owners:

• Research the business and gain relevant prior knowledge before committing; she says a business degree is not essential.
• Bring in capable tax advisers and accountants.
• Build a supportive team. Gina identifies teamwork as a major factor in handling staff absences and daily challenges.
• Be prepared to work hard. She believes the business can provide a good living, but gives no financial figures to substantiate earnings.

Frameworks, Processes, and Playbooks

• Location and partnership strategy: Start with a standalone location, build visibility, and be open to retailer partnerships; the Alsterhaus opportunity followed the retailer discovering Gina’s first shop.
• Revenue-linked occupancy cost: A revenue-share concession aligns the location’s compensation with sales and reduces the pressure of fixed rent during slower periods.
• Demand-based production: Use weather forecasts and recent sales to plan next-day output, with a preference for selling out over carrying large amounts of unsold stock.
• Product development: Experiment with an external category reference, then adapt it to local tastes—in this case, combining American cream cheese with German quark.
• Quality and service consistency: Invest in ingredient quality, staff training, and a complementary coffee offer to strengthen the overall customer experience.
• Team resilience: Encourage staff to support one another and cover shifts when possible.

Presenters and Sources

The presenters are the LionTV interviewer/host, who is not named in the subtitles, and Gina, founder of Cheesecake Heaven. Gina cites The Cheesecake Factory as an inspiration and identifies a roaster at Peutestraße as the coffee supplier.