HOUSTON – Discover is helping Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The credit card company recently awarded a Cy-Fair food truck business $25,000.
The company is called “Masterpiece Desserts.” It’s located in the heart of Cy-Fair at Rosehill Beer Garden. A life-changing event prompted the business owner to start the company.
Near-death experience leads to delicious new business venture
Six years ago, Kenneth Brooks said he almost died when he went into cardiac arrest for more than four minutes, which left him in a coma for three days.
“I woke up and had a taste for cheesecake,” Brooks said.
Brooks’ taste for cheesecake after his near death experience led to a delicious new business venture.
“I didn’t want to taste an original cheesecake, so I went ahead and started brainstorming and I came up with our signature sweet potato cheesecake," Brooks said.
That’s how Masterpiece Desserts was born. Brooks, who’d been working in the medical field for 10 years, started by baking cheesecake for his colleagues. They were such a hit, he decided to leave the medical field and focus his time and energy on his dessert company. He and his wife, Winsome, first ran Masterpiece Desserts out of a tent at Rosehill Beer Garden before the owner sold them a trailer.
“We went ahead and put a little extra money into it and here we are,” Brooks said.
“The World’s Most Delicious Cheesecake”
“Masterpiece Desserts is home of the world’s most delicious cheesecake,” Winsome Brooks said.
They offer large 10-inch cheesecakes and mini 3-inch cheesecakes. They offer 13 flavors and vegan options as well. From original , strawberry and turtle to cookies and creme and more.
“We have fruity tootie, which is fruity pebbles cereal on top. Our caramel crunch is our cinnamon toast crunch with caramel glaze. Our company is growing and our customers love us, ” Kenneth Brooks said.
So much so, Masterpiece Desserts was nominated and eventually selected to receive a $25,000 award, as part of the Discover “Eat it Forward” program. The company is one of 200 Black-owned companies selected from across the country.
“We were very, very excited. we were ecstatic,” Winsome Brook said.
Paying It Forward
The Brooks said they plan to put the special gift they received to good use.
“We want to give back to our community. We really want to support public education and we want to support the teachers out there,” Winsome Brooks said.
The Brooks said they would love to see teachers have more opportunities to get professional development training, especially during these challenging times. They also plan to hire more staff, buy a delivery van and another food truck.
To learn more about Masterpiece Desserts, click on the link.