With NFL great as a fan, couple expands cheesecake biz to new cafe

SAFETY HARBOR — Bassano Cheesecake, a family-owned cheesecake company, will open its first cafe on Friday at 507 Main St. in Safety Harbor. 

The new venture is led by the husband-and-wife team of Tom and Cindy Bassano, who, according to a press release, started making cheesecakes in their home kitchen because they couldn’t find authentic, New York-style cheesecakes at local delis and bakeries, and they couldn’t find a company up north that would ship to Florida. So in June 2019, they replicated Tom Bassano’s aunt’s cheesecake recipe and began wholesaling cheesecakes to local delis, catering companies and restaurants.