24th Cheesecakerie has moved to the far side of Briarwood mall, giving a three-generation partnership a dedicated kitchen it’s using to expand its offerings.
The four-year-old business had a smaller shop in the mall’s food pavilion until June, selling slices baked at the Growing Hope Incubator Kitchen in Ypsilanti, according to co-owner Sean Brezzell. They reopened August 1 in the former Sozo Japanese Grill space near JCPenney, with ten tables and the ability to serve made-to-order casual food—hot dogs, cheesesteak hoagies, chili, onion rings, and the like—along with new kinds of cheesecakes and new ways to consume them.
“The difference is immense, man, from just going into a store where you got cheesecakes in the cooler to coming into a location where we can top your cheesecakes, we can turn your cheesecake into an actual shake, or even if you just wanted to order cheesecake that morning and pick it up that evening, we’re able to do that,” enthuses Brezzell, who owns the business with his mother Vicki and grandmother Barbara Wilson.
“Now we can not only make more cheesecakes to sell, but we can make a bigger variety,” he says, including gluten-free and vegan options that can be ordered ahead.
The trio each have birthdays on the twenty-fourth day of different months, thus inspiring the name. They continue to supply an outlet in Toledo’s Franklin Park mall but are checking out another in Madison Heights, while maintaining a longstanding catering business.
“Mom and Grandma, we all work well together. Nobody’s the boss. We all come together, you know? We all have equal equity into this business. Money, time, effort—we all put it in there,” says Brezzell, who’s especially glad for the frequent presence of four-year-old Sean Jr., who was actually the first in the family to spot the vacancy that led to the move.
Brezzell says that renovating and equipping the $3,000-per-month space was more costly than expected, but “the mall worked with us. I can tell you this much: The mall has probably been our biggest help.”
24th Cheesecakerie, Briarwood mall, (734) 879–0832. Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. noon–6 p.m. 24thcheesecakerie.com
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An upscale, all-you-can-eat dining experience appealing especially to meat lovers, Texas de Brazil has opened its second Michigan location in the freestanding space vacant since Bravo! Cucina Italiana closed during the pandemic.
It’s the sixty-fifth churrascaria/steakhouse for the Dallas-based chain. Founded in 1998, it features an array of seasoned, slow-roasted meats served rodízio style by traveling gauchos carving from skewers at tableside.
The $53.99 (half-price for kids ages six to twelve) dinner also includes cheese bread, garlic mashed potatoes, and fried bananas, plus a salad bar offering roasted vegetables, cheeses, and charcuterie (the salad bar alone is $31.99). A la carte options, desserts, and beverages are additional, while a smaller bar menu caters to more casual customers. Wines and spirits include the classic Brazilian potent potable, the sugary lime cocktail called the caipirinha.
The Briarwood restaurant, between P.F. Chang’s and Chipotle, is a bit smaller than the chain’s downtown Detroit counterpart at Campus Martius, but there’s a well-
appointed indoor dining space, including a private area for up to forty. It can accommodate an additional forty-eight diners outdoors.
Texas de Brazil, 760 Briarwood Cir., (734) 336–1800. Mon.–Thurs. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.–8:30 p.m. texasdebrazil.com
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Wiggle Waggle Barkery, specializing in dog treats and supplies, opened August 1 to customers with or without their canine companions. It’s the second such location for owners Jennie and John Jones of Taylor—the first opened in Southland in November.
The couple had considered baking the dog treats themselves but found ample suppliers—including Scally Waggs in Monroe—for the human-grade cookies, donuts, cakes, deli, and beer(!) they offer for four-legged friends. The menu ranges from $1 cookies to a $38.99 cake. Other product lines include wearables (from collars to Christmas dresses), enrichment (such as doggy puzzles), spa (paw bombs), and pet-themed gifts for humans.
Jennie Jones says that the mall has let the store go pet-friendly, so long as pups use main mall entrances and don’t stray far from their Center Court storefront, last occupied by women’s accessories boutique Brighton.
Shoppers gravitate toward pet treats shaped to resemble human food items, Jones finds. “People, it’s so funny, they will take like ten minutes deciding, ‘Oh which one would Roscoe like?’ But really it’s our eye. Which one do we really like?”
Wiggle Waggle Barkery, Briarwood mall Center Court. Mon.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. noon–6 p.m. Facebook (search Wiggle Waggle Barkery).
