Wedding Dessert Must Have: Val’s Cheesecakes

One wedding detail no wedding celebration is complete without? Dessert! And while the traditional wedding cake will always be our first love, we’ll never say no to any additional sweets, be it cookies, macarons or CHEESECAKES! If you haven’t experienced the delectable desserts from Val’s Cheesecakes already, you absolutely must try this DFW staple! Known for their grab-n-go desserts at The Shack and The Shop, Val’s also services all your wedding event needs from tiered cheesecakes and favor jars to custom letter or number designs. Get to know Val Jean-Bart, owner and head baker at Val’s Cheesecakes, and his incredible story behind how the bakery came to be below!

How did Val’s Cheesecakes come to be?

In June of 2008, my mom came from Haiti to visit me for a couple of weeks. During her stay, I noticed her breathing was not quite right as she took more time to climb a small number of stairs. Upon taking her to the hospital, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal breast cancer and given six months to live.

Being with her at every doctor appointment, I made sure that my mother was only made aware that she had a chronic cancer disease for which she had to get continuous treatment. I made sure that she never heard the word “TERMINAL.”  I believe and know that by my mother not hearing the word “terminal” and with the help of modern medicine right here in Dallas, as well as, the care I provided to her, she lived past four years which totally went against the initial prognosis given to us in June of 2008.

Each Sunday, during those four years, was a ritual for us to bake and try desserts. She would finish her desserts sometimes before touching the main course I would fix for her. She would stay at the house, and we’d spend the whole week discussing what kind of cake we would be trying on Sunday. This went on for four years through countless cheesecakes until her passing in August of 2012.

After her passing, I wrote a letter to the owner of Oddfellows (Matt Spillers) in Bishop Arts, and after tasting the many cheesecakes I brought for him, he decided to carry the cheesecakes at two of his establishments. From that point, I decided to start a business by selling our cheesecakes to other restaurant establishments. After two years of moonlighting as a baker after my civil engineering day job in the kitchen of St Paul United Methodist church, I decided to open a storefront located at 3906 Maple Avenue which is now our first location called THE SHACK.

From the colors seen at THE SHACK and now at THE SHOP, the recipes and overall vibe, this story and journey are daily tributes to my mom, Marie Jose Labossiere, who was a phenomenal, strong and smart business woman. I hope to be at least half of what this woman meant to me in terms of perseverance, guts and sweet disposition.

Tell us about the name.

I wanted to name it Marie’s Cheesecakes but Matt Spillers and my mom both convinced me not to. They each mentioned Marie Callender’s Megs and the name being very popular already.

What services do you offer for weddings?

Our number one catering item is the cheesecake cupcakes as well as cheesecake shooters. We do provide cheesecake jars (twist jar or clamp jar) as well with customized labels depicting initials and wedding date. We are the only bakery offering tiered cheesecakes and large letter or number cheesecakes. We also offer sheets of cheesecake, cheesecake dessert bars and cheesecake brownies.

What can a bride expect when placing a cheesecake order with Val’s?

Expect a wonderful, fun tasting experience and special attention brought to each detail desired to make the day special.

How customizable can a bride get with her order?

There is no limit. We make every cheesecake dream come true!

Does Val’s deliver to the wedding site?

Yes, we do deliver!

Thanks to Val for sharing the tear-jerking story of how Val’s Cheesecakes came to be PLUS the great insight into all the bakery has to offer! Interested in serving cheesecake at your wedding or pre-wedding event? Get in touch directly via Val’s vendor profile here.