New in New Paltz: Hudson Valley Cheesecake opened a bakery, now offers delivery

For Dana Charres, owner of Hudson Valley Cheesecake in New Paltz, there's been no pre-pandemic "normal" to remember. 

She started her business in August 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. After waitressing for years and working as a laborer for Local 17, Charres took the leap amid the pandemic to open the bakery of her dreams. 

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"I've been baking my whole life," she said at the bakery Thursday afternoon. "Being a waitress for so long prepared me for this industry."

Located on Main Street in New Paltz, Hudson Valley Cheesecakes offers a large menu of homemade six and nine-inch cheesecakes, including the ever-popular rainbow cheesecake. Inspired by Italian rainbow cookies, the cake features almond flavor with a thin layer of raspberry and a Belgian chocolate ganache top. 

Another fan favorite is the strawberry crunch cheesecake, inspired by the Good Humor ice cream bar. Made with strawberry crunch crust and topping, it's layered with cream and strawberries. 

"I'll be browsing at stores looking at the ice cream flavors and I'll think of an idea for a cheesecake," Charres said. That's how she imagined her newest creation: the pumpkin apple cider donut cheesecake. Also available at the bakery are crusties, large cheesecake filling-stuffed cookies topped with crust, and cheesecake cannoli. 

Charres, a resident of Newburgh, said that business at the bakery has been great since she opened, despite the pandemic, but she noticed that some people were still reluctant to go into brick-and-mortar shops. 

She thought the community would benefit from having pop-up deliveries in the town of Newburgh.

"I noticed that some people didn't want to go out (to New Paltz) during the height of the pandemic," said Charres, who had a strong customer base for her home baking in Newburgh before opening her shop. "Now, people can make orders online and we'll deliver to them."

Charres is doing deliveries in the parking lot of Market 32 on North Plank Road in the town of Newburgh. This makes her treats accessible to people who may not have transportation or time to get to her new bakery in Ulster County. It is also COVID-friendly; with the deliveries taking place outdoors, people can expect to have limited contact with others.  

At the bakery, Charres works alongside her boyfriend, Devone, and her two kids, Dharyan, 19, and Giovahni, 17. 

"I'm doing what I love," she said. "There's not one day I wake up wishing it was Friday. A lot of times, I wouldn't get to see my kids because I was working. Now, my daughter works here with me and my son comes on the weekends. It's great." 

With plenty of hand-crafted treats to offer, Charres has had one major honor with her work: turning people into die-hard cheesecake fans. 

"I get people who say they hate cheesecake, but love ours," Charres said. "We make believers out of them."

Kristen Warfield is the food and business reporter for the Times Herald-Record. Find my stories here. Reach me at kwarfield@gannett.com.