Strongsville baker turned grief into the best cheesecake in Northeast Ohio

Pink buttercream mini cheesecake Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Long before Messy Aprons & Company became one of the most talked-about bakeries in Strongsville—and before it earned the title of Best Cheesecake in Northeast Ohio from Cleveland.com—Melissa Simon was a kid in the kitchen, apron tied tight, baking beside her grandmother Betty Gibson.

Orange creamsicle mini cheesecake Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

“We always had to have aprons,” Simon said.

Vanilla bean mini cheesecake Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Those moments became the foundation for everything that followed. Baking wasn’t just about food—it was connection. Even years later, when her grandmother began losing her memory, Simon held onto those rituals.

In fact, as the years went on, she had a cheesecake prepared to quietly swap out if grandma brought something less than perfect to a family gathering. That way no one, especially grandma, would know anything was amiss.

When her grandmother passed away in 2012, the loss changed Simon’s life in more ways than she anticipated.

“I started baking cheesecake as grief therapy,” she said. That grew into cheesecakes made at home and sold to local restaurants and for private events.

Word spread. Demand grew.

What began as something deeply personal slowly turned into something much bigger. Eventually, a brick-and-mortar location was established four years ago.

Today, Messy Aprons is a full-scale operation powered by family and fueled by that same original recipe. Still a “closely guarded secret,” it is known only to Simon and her husband.

Cant commit to just one? Cheesecake minis let you mix, match and enjoy a little bit of everything. Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

They use it for large cheesecakes and mini cheesecakes, both available to order and for walk-in customers.

Messy Aprons’ menu reflects both tradition and creativity. Plain cheesecake remains the best-seller, but there are nearly 200 flavors in rotation. Among them are strawberry crunch, triple berry, cookie dough, pistachio, orange creamsicle, buckeye, lavender buttercream, key lime, Snickers and so much more.

“We’re always trying to add things,” said Simon, noting that minis and cheesecake slices lead sales.

Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Flavors continue expanding based on trends.

“We watch what happens in Australia to see what’s coming our way,” Simon revealed. Some of the newer trends have been Biscoff cookie butter and Dubai-inspired pistachio chocolate cheesecake.

Despite successes, Simon hasn’t rushed to expand. In fact, she wasn’t even thinking of it when she posted an April Fool’s Day joke about a second location.

The “joke” drew more than 450 eager responses from people hoping it was real. That may have encouraged growth, but for now, Simon is staying put.

Social media has changed her business in another way. People far and wide are learning about the cheesecakes from TikTok and visiting from everywhere. They’re driving from Columbus and West Virginia or stopping in on their way to the airport.

Reeses Cup 9" Cheesecake - Vanilla bean cheesecake topped with chocolate & peanut butter ganache, chocolate buttercream & a Reeses Cup candy with chocolate curls Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Shipping, though, makes her uneasy.

“We put so much love into a cheesecake that it stresses me out to see how it would travel,” she said.

That attention to detail defines everything done at Messy Aprons. Cheesecakes are water-baked for a soft, creamy texture. Fresh berries are added the morning of.

“We’re doing everything at the last minute,” she says. “We don’t freeze anything.”

The work is constant. Messy Aprons makes 75–80 cheesecakes a week for restaurants, as well as thousands of minis and slices. Flavors rotate frequently—minis every two weeks, slices weekly—based on what customers respond to. Some combinations surprise her, like cherry and Snickers. Others remain timeless, like vanilla bean.

Owner, Melissa Simon Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

As Mother’s Day approaches, orders are piling up. Slice Club regulars are filling their cards—buy 10, get one free. Discounts are offered to seniors, military members, and first responders. And the ovens keep going.

Buckeye mini cheesecake Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Before customers leave, Melissa shares one small but important tip: “Let your cheesecake sit out 20 minutes before serving.”

It’s a simple instruction, rooted in experience. Just like everything else at Messy Aprons.

Beyond cheesecake, the shop offers cupcakes, cookies, gluten-free cheesecakes and more. A local baker supplies macarons, something that Messy Apron can’t bake because the kitchen has too much humidity.

Strongsville baker turned grief into the best cheesecake in Northeast Ohio Reeses Cup 9" Cheesecake - Vanilla bean cheesecake topped with chocolate & peanut butter ganache, chocolate buttercream & a Reeses Cup candy with chocolate curls Messy Aprons & Company is located at 14300 Pearl Road in Strongsville - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Community remains central. Messy Apron partners with other small businesses to fill a gift shop with candles, jewelry and more.

Beneath the growth and the award-winning recognition, the heart of it all traces back to a grandmother, an apron and a recipe that never really changed.

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