LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — At 6 a.m. on weekdays, closed signs may light up the part of Louisville where Butchertown and NuLu meet. However, the lights inside Big Nita's Cheesecakes are always on, and there's already a healthy blend of mixing, baking and chatter.
The employees and owners at Big Nita's Cheesecakes know they have to move quickly because of what's coming at the end of the week.
"We didn't think they'd get this close," one customer said.
Another customer said the bakery's reputation speaks for itself, calling it "the best around."
Plenty of people and long lines fill the sidewalk in front of the shop. Employees know selling out isn't just a possibility, but a guarantee.
Some customers arrive with a plan — one said she hoped to get a sampler — while others are willing to wait for hours, even without the guarantee the shop will have anything left.
"I've sat in line for three hours, and they ran out," one customer said.
Long lines aren't the only proof of popularity. Big Nita's videos also regularly appear in social media feeds.
"I try to vlog a little bit of everything," said owner Nicole Burks, known as "Big Nita."
But the story behind the cheesecake — and the business — goes much deeper. It is something Burks only recently decided to start talking about.
"I struggled with addiction for many years on and off," Burks said.
A marriage that wasn't meant to be, unhappiness and failed attempts at getting sober left her spinning in what seemed like a never-ending cycle of addiction.
"I was so ashamed," she said. "I didn't want to tell anybody about it."
Eight years went by quickly, and Burks also went through an intense physical change during that time.
"I was also a lot bigger," Burks said. "I was probably 400 pounds."
While it might seem like the last possible thing that would help, cheesecake helped "Big Nita" shed the first part of her nickname — and quit pills.
"I don't want to say I was never good at anything, but I wasn't until I taught myself to be good at something," she said. "I felt like I had a purpose, and that's what I was missing for a long time."
Burks also realized without her addiction, her business would've never existed. No lines. No sold out days. No cheesecake.
"Look where we're at now," she said.
And yes, favor for the flavors could fade for fans who call this a favorite, but that’s not enough to shake "Big Nita" in her new life with her soon-to-be husband.
"We know we can get through anything," her fiancé, Roberto Davila, said.
They know their business is about pieces of cake. And even though life is far from it, "Big Nita" finally hit a sweet spot.
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