Meet Nikia “Nikki” Jones | Cheesecake Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikia “Nikki” Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikia “Nikki”, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I never saw myself starting a business. At the time, I was going through a really tough time in my life and I felt as if I was backed into a corner. I didn’t have a “talent”, so I prayed for one. I prayed that if I did have a talent, that it be revealed to me. My maternal grandfather used to own a BBQ business in Decatur, Ga in the 90’s. My maternal grandmother, my mother, and my sister are all bakers. My aunt was a chef in the hospitality industry, and my uncle is a grill master and baker, so I knew I might have had it in me! A good friend of mine called me out of nowhere one day and asked me if I would make him a cheesecake. I was skeptical, however, I couldn’t say no, so I gave it a try. It was a Snickers Cheesecake with an oreo crust, with snickers inside and some melted on top. He loved it, although it was a little too rich. I posted it on Instagram and it just took off from there. 5 years later, and I now have over 40 flavors of cheesecake to choose from and almost 1,200 followers on Instagram…Prayer works!!

What should our readers know about your business?
I came from humble beginnings. The fact that I have over 40 flavors of cheesecake to choose from sets me apart from every other cheesecake business, new or old. I offer whole 9in cheesecakes, mini cheesecakes, slices, and cheesecake jars. Everything is made with love, even my from scratch whipped cream! It has not been easy at all, and I still have challenges to this day on what to do next to expand my business. The only way to overcome these challenges is to not give up. I have goals to reach, and I will not stop, even after I reach them. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to ignore those that don’t believe in me or anyone with an opinion that has never owned a business, they just don’t get it. I just want people to see and remeber the name Cheesecakes by Nikki. Atlanta is not the final stop, so stay on board for the rest of the ride!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to Steamhouse Lounge for seafood, Paschals for soul food, Good as Burgers for vegan food, MattChews ATL for some asian food, or Louisiana Bistreaux (Piedmond Rd location only) for cajun food, Copelands for brunch, and BQE for brunch during the day and live music on a Saturday night. We would definitely go ride scooters downtown, and go to the Illuminarium, because I haven’t been yet.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thank you to the Most High, for giving me this blessing. My son Brandon, for being my reason to keep going and for always telling me how awesome I am. I would like to thank my friend Chris for being the reason I started my business. My parents, friends and family for supporting me and helping me get my business running and for spreading the word. I would also like to thank everyone who stopped believing in me. It left room for the right people to come into my life. Lastly I would like to thank two Atlanta based businesses for taking a chance on Cheesecakes by Nikki ATL: Good As Burgers aka G.A.B.S. (Vegan) and Matt Chews ATL (Asian Fusion). Both restaurants feature my cheesecakes on their menus.

Instagram: CheesecakesbyNikkiATL

Facebook: Cheesecakes by Nikki