Jewel-Osco

Chicago St Patrick’s Day Queen Cara Walsh and her court traded their tiaras for chefs coats at Eli’s when they stopped by to decorate cheesecakes for this weekend’s festivities

Eli's Cheesecake Company

Chicago St Patrick’s Day Queen @chicareah and her court traded their tiaras for chefs coats at Eli’s when they stopped by to decorate cheesecakes for this weekend’s festivities

Eli's Cheesecake

How great is this?? Disco balls, tie dye birthday cake, and the Hustle, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the grooviest guy we know, our President, Marc Schulman!

Eli's Cheesecake Company

How great is this?? Disco balls, tie dye birthday cake, and the Hustle, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the grooviest guy we know, our President, Marc Schulman!

Eli's Cheesecake

Happy 188th birthday Chicago! To celebrate, The City Club of Chicago hosted a party at the located in the historic Water Tower pumping station. A 200 lb. Eli’s Original Plain Cheesecake decorated with an edible film strip of Chicago landmarks and were served free to the public.

In the photo from left to right: Ida Nelson of Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream, Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt, City Club President Dan Gibbons, 2ndWard Alderman Brian Hopkins, Lookingglass Theater Managing Director Jamey Lundblad, Maureen and Marc Schulman of Eli’s Cheesecake and City Club Chairman Jaclene Robinson-Ivy.

Friends and 60611 neighbors, come celebrate 37th birthday tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 13 at 11am — featuring ensemble member (“Power Book IV: Force,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Stories”), juggling lessons by and a giant Eli’s Cheesecake inspired by their “story castle” home, the historic Water Tower Water Works (163 E Pearson St at Michigan Ave).

Here’s a behind the scenes look at the making of this “story castle”

Big Slice is the mascot here at Eli’s Cheesecake. It’s a big job, but Slice is a big slice of cheesecake!

Pictured here is the real dream team, when Slice got to shoot some hoops alongside all his mascot friends at a Bulls game in the ’90s.

Did you share a romantic piece of cheesecake at the Taste of Chicago? Did you hide a ring in a slice? Send us your Eli’s love story and photos (if you have them!), and you’ll be entered to win Eli’s Cheesecake for an entire year! Submit your stories at the link in our bio

Pictured here: our founder, Eli Schulman, in a sweet embrace with his wife, Esther Schulman—his right hand at Eli’s The Place for Steak.

January is a month famous for renewal, but this week, Eli’s is looking back at our past. On January 22nd, Eli’s celebrates the birthday of our founder, Eli Schulman, as well as his legacy that lives on in our company. Today, as always, we take care to operate with the values that Eli Schulman held close to his heart: charity, perseverance, compassion, and, of course, a dedication to delicious food that started in 1940 with his first restaurant, the Ogden Huddle. On this historic day, we are taking a moment to be thankful for our amazing employees, the wonderful city of Chicago that we call home, and of course, our remarkable founder. We are proud to continue to tell the story that he began, 115 years ago.

On January 22, 1910, our founder, Eli Schulman was born on Chicago’s West Side. In honor of an absolute legend, we’ve designated his birthday as “Founder’s Day”... a day to celebrate Eli’s legacy.

It was in 1940 when Eli noticed a foreclosure sign on his favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Armed with little more than a twinkle in his eye and his mother’s recipes, he bought the place, and the rest was history. His big personality, great food, and exceptional care for his customers captured the hearts of Chicago, making his restaurant a beloved meeting place that brought people joy and connection through food. Eli made sure that everyone was welcome, whether they could afford their meal or not. He hung a sign in the window which read “If you’re hungry and have no money, we will feed you for free”, reinforcing his belief that “charity will never bust you.”

Forty years and a few restaurants later, Eli declared cheesecake to be the signature dessert at his iconic Chicago steakhouse, Eli’s the Place for Steak. It was there that he dreamed up “Chicago-Style” cheesecake, known for its beautiful caramelization, rich and creamy texture and all-butter shortbread cookie crust.

We’re proud to carry on Eli’s legacy of great food, giving back to the community, caring for people and hiring refugees and individuals with disabilities, at our third-generation family business on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Please join us in celebrating the one and only Eli, on January 22nd, Founder’s Day.

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